LB 1573 
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Book. 




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THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ 



THE ALPHABET, SPELLING, AND ELEMENTARY SOUNDS 
OP THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



AN ENTIRELY NEW SYSTEM, 

ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DULL AND BACKWARD SCHOLARS. 



J&*sfflitt& for tfo us* ai .Spools ana Jamilita. 

A MANUAL FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND GUARDIANS. 

BY PROF. JOHN DICKINSON TEFFT. 



NEW YORK: 
PUBLISHED BY TIBBALS & CO., 

No. 118 Nassau Street. 

1858. 






By toaa*«r tr*m 

Pat. 0«c« L.iU» 

A»i W 1&A4- 



<£ /) 



J 



TO THE 



SCHOOL TEACHERS 

AND PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITAIN, 
*ND BRITISH AMERICA. 



Friends op Humanist: 

On you the interests of science and the general diffusion 
of knowledge depend. You hold stations far more import- 
ant to your respective nations than their governmental func- 
tionaries ; for it is by you that your professional characters, 
your magistrates, your legislators, the judges of your courts, 
your ambassadors to foreign nations, and the official digni- 
taries of your governments are trained up, and receive, 
through a nation of freemen whom you have enlightened, 
their distinguished appointments. The illumination which 
you disseminate is both the corner-stone and palladium 
of the liberty, the independence, the prosperity, the felicity, 
and the glory of your happy countries. To you the eyes of 
their children are directed, as the parents, the trustees, the 
guardians of all their most valuable rights, of all their 
fondest and proudest hopes. Lodged in your hands and 
subject to your influence are the destinies of your rising 

ill 



IV DEDICATION. 

empires. Knowledge has the sovereign control of 
power. The head rules the whole body. The mind sets in 
motion and regulates the machine. It is by intellectual 
energies that man rises to the dignity of his nature, that 
nations achieve their independence, triumph over the obsta- 
cles to their prosperity, smooth the path of general and 
individual happiness, obtain and secure immortal glory. 
But before men of intelligence and science, it belongs not to 
me to expatiate upon the importance of knowledge to the 
individual, or of its general diffusion to the prosperity and 
felicity of nations. Nor is it necessary to state to men of 
your information the grade in which primary instruction, in 
reading and spelling and the best mode of teaching it to the 
best advantage, necessarily ranks, as in its early and thor- 
ough acquirement depend in a great degree the acquisition 
of all or many other useful sciences. And it is believed that 
the facilities set forth in "The Philosophy op Teaching 
the Young to Read " are such as will lessen the toils both 
of the teacher and pupil to that degree that more than one- 
half the labor, the time, and expense formerly had in learn- 
ing to read will be saved, to be devoted to other studies or 
employments; and that when this system shall be fully 
appreciated, none will be found in all your vast empires 
unable to read, who are not deprived of the common facul- 
ties of the human mind, or forbidden the liberty of doing so. 
And it is thought it will save more treasure and be produc- 
tive of more happiness in the instruction of youth to all 
coming time than all the gold of California or Australia. 



DEDICATION. V 

Friends op Freedom: 

I present for the illumination of your sons and daugh- 
ters " The Philosophy op Teaching the Young to Read." 
It is the liberty, the independence of the mind from scholas- 
tic shackles which I bring. Have the kindness to accept it 
as a legacy of love bequeathed to you and your children 
forever. 

With the respect of veneration and the devotions of 
friendship, 

Your younger brother, 



John D. Tepft. 



Remsen, Oneida Co., N. T., 
September, 1858. 



INTEODUCTIOK 



All the systems heretofore and dow in use to teach 
the young to read may be considered as indirect. 
Every observant teacher has keenly felt the want of a 
direct System of Instruction, when he has beheld the 
helpless condition of those who are learning to read. 
No scholar, let him be young or old, rich or poor, bond 
or free, native or foreign, can of himself study to effect 
for a long time after he begins the study of the English 
language. He ever needs a System of Direct Instruc- 
tion for a considerable time before he is truly able to 
help himself. More than one half of a scholar's time is 
worse than thrown away by not teaching him in a 
direct manner. Yea, more than this, we break down 
the very energies of his soul by requiring him to do 
that which he is unable to perform, and is known by all 
to be an impossibility for him to accomplish, and, by 
not giving him direct instruction when he can receive 
and appreciate no other. Hence the dislike for going 
to school so generally manifested by children. Here is 
where almost every child takes the first great lesson in 
immorality. They cannot do what the teacher and 
parents are required by custom to exact of them, and 



Vlll INTRODUCTION. 

they are compelled to resort to all manner of duplicity, 
tricks, lies and hypocrisy, in order to get along and be 
considered anything by those they are trying to please, 
and after they have done all in their power and worried 
half their young life away, they are frequently called, 
dull lazy blockheads, and the like, which only serves to 
sink them still lower. Hear it, ye parents — have you not 
sent your little son or daughter to school and in a few 
short months seen his whole moral nature changed? 
The blame lies in the system of instruction which is 
pursued, and not in the teacher or school. I do most 
religiously believe, that a direct system of instruction, 
introduced into our schools, would be next to the 
preaching of the Gospel for promoting good morals. 
Truly none but children would submit to such an ab- 
surdity as is generally imposed on young pupils atten- 
ing our schools, sitting months and years holding books 
in their hands to little or no purpose but to paralyze 
their physical and mental energies. It would require a 
guard much larger than the united force of the armies 
and navies of the United States, Great Britain and 
France, to keep men in our schools in the position we 
keep our young scholars. Let us free our children from 
this long sanctioned oppression, and the present and all 
future generations will rise up and call us blessed. In 
order to teach children to name and distinguish natural 
objects we first call their attention to each separate ob- 
ject; we then tell them its name and point out to them 
its distinctive features. In this way they are soon en- 
abled to call the name and to distinguish each object 
brought to their observation. My theory for teaching 
the young to read is based on this principle. In teach- 
ing the letters, the letter is first presented to the eye, 



INTRODUCTION. IX 

when the teacher declares its name and points out to 
the attentive beholder its distinctive features. In teach- 
ing words, the word is first presented to the eye, it is 
then pronounced by the teacher, when the scholar reads 
it by its letters and syllables and pronounces it, the 
teacher aiding him to do so whenever he fails to accom- 
plish it. In teaching the vowel and diphthongal sounds, 
a variety of exercises are had on the same principle in 
connection with teaching the words, which enables the 
learner to become acquainted with the elementary 
sounds of the English language, an attainment to which 
our schools have never yet arrived. 

My aim is the communication of important truth 
never yet divulged, for the advantage of the present and 
succeeding generations. And if this New System does 
not disencumber the Old Indirect System of instruction 
of a huge mass of scholastic rubbish, falsehood and non- 
sense, and show itself to be a plain, simple, rational and 
consistent system of instruction of incomparably more 
easy attainment, let it be condemned without benefit of 
clergy. I claim nothing for the authorship of this work, 
but beg the indulgence and charity of a Christian public 
towards it in this respect; but for the truth and infinite 
importance and necessity of the system I yield nothing. 
I make my appeal not to that stupid bigoted class of 
prejudiced men, who always start at novelty and forth- 
with brand as heresy every deviation from long re- 
ceived notions, but to the candid who rejoice at im- 
provement, and to the truly learned who, while they are 
disposed to scrutinize and are competent to judge, will 
not condemn without being able to assign a reason. 

I have long wished that some able pen, protected by 
commanding influence, would take this subject in hand ; 



X INTRODUCTION. 

but having waited in vain more than twenty years for 
a writer of this description to make his appearance, and 
finding that every new system of instruction retails the 
trumpery and falsehood of preceding authors, my 
patience is finally exhausted, and with all my embar- 
rassments about me, I proceed in obedience to Tetjth, 
and without stopping to make apologies, to pursue a 
hitherto untrodden path, relying upon the good sense of 
my fellow citizens to accept this proffer of my labors, 
which have no other object than the dissemination of 
truth, the honor of my country, and the benefit of the 
present and succeeding generations. 

I conclude this introduction by saying, that teachers 
will find the examples showing the manner of classing 
schools, the manner of teaching the alphabet, the 
words, the vowel and diphthongal sounds, also the 
various reading exercises, both of words and sentences, 
to be full, plainly showing the teacher their perfect 
adaptation in different schools and classes, so as to gain 
the greatest amount of time in teaching and save an 
equal amount of time in learning, which is an import- 
ant feature in this system. To which will be added 
the method of teaching the pauses and marks used in 
writing and printing, also a variety of reading exercises 
for young and advanced reading classes ; together with 
a short history of the discovery of the Direct System, 
showing its progress and triumph for more than twenty 
years in schools taught by myself and others. 



CONTENTS 



PAGH 

Investigation of the present Method of Teaching, . . 13 
Discovery and Subsequent Progress of the Author's 

System of Direct Teaching, 43 

Classing Scholars in School, and what Books to be 

used, 66 

Method of Teaching the Alphabet, . . . .75 
Exercising the First Class of Word Readers, . .81 
Exercises Applicable to the Second Class of Word 

Readers, 95 

Exercises for Third Class, composed of Spellers and 

Word Readers, 98 

First Reading Class, 104 

Second Reading Class, . 107 

General Remarks and Criticisms, 113 

" Phonic Method," 118 

Appendix, 133 

3d 



THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING. 



INVESTIGATION OP THE 

PRESENT METHOD OF TEACHING. 

The faculty of reading is considered one of 
the most important attainments of the hnman 
mind. Its value is so great as a medium of 
conveying knowledge, that it becomes almost 
as useful to the well being of man as the sense 
of seeing or hearing. In such high estimation 
is it held in civilized communities that no 
time or expense within our power is withheld 
from its attainment. State governments and 
corporations are constantly making large in- 
vestments for educational purposes. Normal 
schools are established at vast expense for the 
education of teachers, and teachers' associa- 
tions are formed in almost every State and 
community, in order to advance the cause of 
education. And yet, after all this vast outlay 

2 13 



14: THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

and effort, there is none satisfied with the re- 
sult. It has become apparent to all, that it is 
not because there is not sufficient encourage- 
ment given or not enough labor bestowed, but 
it is generally considered for the want of effi- 
cient teachers. Very well, then, I think we 
have nearly got at the cause why we have no 
better success ; but before we make teachers 
to be the scape-goats for this enormous sin, 
let us examine this subject, and see if they are 
the cause of this vast disappointment with 
which they are charged. And here permit 
me to say I have been a school teacher more 
than thirty years, and I believe the teachers 
that have been and still are employed are as 
faithful and devoted to their calling as any 
other class of men in the community. The 
cause of their inefficiency, then, arises from 
other causes than a want of faithfulness on 
their part, or a sufficient amount of learning 
and ability in general. Cannot the cause be 
found in some erroneous method or system 
had in our schools, which we have astonish- 
ingly overlooked, and the effects of which we 
are beginning so deeply to feel and deplore? 
If a man should build a locomotive that could 
not take a train of cars faster than five miles 
an hom% with a suitable number of men to 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 15 

manage it, when the same men, with another 
locomotive, without working as hard as they 
did on the first, could make it draw a like 
train thirty or forty miles an hour, would he 
not think, with much propriety, there was a 
defect in its construction ? "Would he foolishly 
charge the men with laziness and want of 
skill after he had seen their success in work- 
ing the last engine, even when he could not, 
by any means, increase the speed of his? 
Most certainly he would not ; but with untir 
ing zeal, he would reconstruct his, and endea- 
vor to improve upon the principles of the last 
locomotive, so that, if possible, he might make 
one to excel it. So should we not charge 
those foolishly who are laboring faithfully to 
carry out a system of education which we 
have put into their hands, if it does not work 
the results we could wish. All the systems 
of education to teach the young to read are 
indirect. It is not because we have had no 
direct method in our schools to teach the 
young to read that we have succeeded no bet- 
ter. Do not children spend years in our 
schools to learn indirectly what might be 
taught them in a direct manner in much less 
than half the time ? From more than thirty 
years' experience in and observation on the 



16 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

indirect system of teaching, and from an expe- 
rience of more than twenty years during that 
time in a direct system, 1 am fully prepared 
to answer in the affirmative. Let is now go 
to school with the young beginner, and follow 
him through all his course of toil and suffer- 
ing in learning to read, and see if we can find 
what hinders him in his course, what it is that 
so discourages him, and so nearly breaks his 
heart. 

Do you shudder at the proposition? Are 
you afraid, even in imagination, to enter the 
old prison-house from which you have long 
since escaped ? Is it the sweltering summers, 
or the frosty winters that you are terrified at, 
or is it the hard benches on which you sat so 
many years, that so disturbs your mind ? No, 
no! this is scarcely a grain in the balance. 
You were thinking of something harder than 
all these ; you were thinking of the task of 
holding a book in your hands, and vainly at- 
tempting to study it till it became rotten, and 
fell to pieces. You were thinking how you 
had requirements laid upon you by parents 
and teachers, which it was impossible for you 
to perform. How you were compelled to act 
the hypocrite and knave ; how you felt your 
heart crushed because you could not perform 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 17 

what was required of you ; how you hated 
your school because you could not advance 
yourself to meet the expectations of your 
friends. But, for the present, dismiss your re- 
collections of the past, and let us enter the 
school-room, and see if all who go to school 
have the same cause of complaint. 

The first thing taught in our schools is the 
alphabet. This is usually done in a direct 
manner ; where it is so taught, children learn 
it rapidly ; a few of the easiest spelling lessons 
are generally taught in the same way, and the 
young scholar succeeds well so far. We then 
give him a spelling or a reading book, and as- 
sign him lessons therein, requiring him to study 
the same ; but this he cannot do. He at once 
feels himself abandoned and betrayed. It is 
here we discourage and crush the young mind. 
It is here our school system is so woefully defi- 
cient. It is here the pupil is left with no 
strength of his own to aid him onward. It is 
here he is left to grope his way in darkness, 
learning only by indirect dictation and absurd 
fooleries, while he can see nothing that is beau- 
tiful or lovely to cheer him onward. It is here 
his mind becomes soured and disordered for 
want of proper aid to help it to rise and ex- 
pand itself in useful knowledge. We will sup- 
2* 



18 THE TEUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

pose Mm to have an easy spelling lesson as- 
signed hini ; he is called np to spell — very few 
teachers now hear the lesson read — the book 
is closed, and the pupil is taught to spell words 
which he cannot read or pronounce in a spell- 
ing book. Do we not know that we can teach 
children to spell who do not know their letters ? 
Do we not know that it is perfectly useless to 
teach scholars to spell if they do not know 
their letters, or cannot read the words which 
they spell % Do we not know that it would be 
just as consistent, while teaching them the let- 
ters, to give them a lesson in the alphabet to 
study, and then have them close their books 
and repeat it in the order in which it is writ- 
ten, correcting them when they miscall it, as 
to teach them to spell words which they can- 
not read. They would, of course, be able in 
a short time to call all the names of the letters 
correctly, but it would be of no practical use 
to them whatever. Neither is the practice of 
spelling words that the scholar cannot read of 
any practical use. Formerly, scholars had 
some help from their teacher to teach them to 
read their spelling lessons ; but there never 
has been any system in our schools, or any tho- 
rough practice or method to aid children to 
learn to read words as a whole, and in their 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 19 

elementary parts. This should, however, b6 
made the most prominent branch of primary 
instruction in all our common schools. In- 
stead of reading the spelling lesson to the 
teacher, scholars now are required to pro- 
nounce the word after the teacher — words 
which they never have read or pronounced in 
a book, and words which they would not know 
nor could not possibly make out from any skill 
or knowledge of their own, if they should see 
them in any book whatever, and then spell it, 
or guess at spelling it. The practice may look 
a little more absurd if we should write out a 
short example of it. But first let me observe, 
that scholars cannot read short words correctly 
any better than they can long words, until they 
have been shown how they can never read 
any word right and know it to be so, unless 
they have heard some one read it that did 
know how often enough to enable them to 
remember it, or had a teacher that helped 
them to read it till they learned how and 
what to call it. Few, even after they have 
gone through our schools, know enough about 
the principles of pronunciation contained in 
our books, to enable them to pronounce a 
word correctly, from the principles there laid 
down. They, of course, are never able to 



20 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

speak a word unless they have heard some 
other one speak it first. Consequently, a 
scholar has to he taught how to read each and 
every word by imitation, or from a know- 
ledge of the vowel and consonant sounds, 
which he cannot learn at first sufficiently to 
use them without the aid of his teacher. 
Then, as we at first learn to read words by 
invitation, consequently we can learn nothing 
of them at first by our own effort to study 
them, and scholars should never be required 
or allowed to make a sham-show of studying, 
and never have a lesson assigned them to 
study till they have been exercised suffi- 
ciently in reading words to enable them to do 
so understandingly. But to the time-honored 
practice of learning to spell. We will sup- 
pose the class to have an easy lesson assigned 
them to study six words, viz : 



cat 


dog 


gun 


hog 


rat 


Pig 



which they know they will be called on to 
spell, and which, if it was in their power they 
would study, for children naturally like to do 
something. But as this class of beginners 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 21 

know nothing about reading the words con- 
tained in their lesson, never having heard them 
read, and not. knowing anything about the 
vowel and consonant sounds of the letters com- 
posing the words, whether the vowels are long 
or short, broad or flat, etc., etc, and after they 
have looked at them for an hour or two, 
making a great display of study, by looking 
as grave as possible, moving their lips like a 
lot of young apes, and mumbling over a thou- 
sand unknown things. They are called up to 
spell ; standing with books closed, and arms 
folded up ready to echo the word and spell 
when it is their turn. The teacher pronounces 
the first word of the lesson, which is CAT, 
the scholar at the head of the class pronounc- 
ing the word after him, saying CAT; then 
spelling, says Catt ; next, Kat ; next, Cait ; 
how Cait? next, Katt; next, Cate; next, 
Kate ; next, Katte ; next, Catte ; next, Caitte ; 
next, Kaitte ; next, Caat ; next, Caate ; next, 
Kaat; next, Kaate; next, C A (hesi- 
tates) when the teacher asks him what his 
mother drank at breakfast. The boy taking 
courage, and looking very wise, exclaims, T. 
That is is right, John, now you may go up to 
the head. The teacher puts out the next 
word, which is Gun, the scholar pronouncing 



22 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OB 

it after him, saying gun, but not seeing his 
way clear, looks imploringly at the teacher, 
who, wanting to make it as clear a case as 
possible for his pupil, repeats it over several 
times very distinctly, and with long quantity, 

saying G-u-n, G — u — n, G u n. At 

length, the boy, knowing he must make a 
guess at it, right or wrong, spells, saying, 

G u n. That is right ; now pronounce 

it, my good fellow. But the boy, in the excite- 
ment of the moment, does not know how to 
pronounce it, when the teacher repeats the let- 
ters G-u-n, and asks the boy, half reproach- 
fully, if he cannot tell what g-u-n spells; 
the boy not being able, and the teacher wish- 
ing to have his class master one word of the 
lesson if possible, and thinking he would have 
better success with this scholar than any of 
the rest, asks him if he knows what his father 
takes when he goes to kill a hawk ; the boy 
not being used to hunting associations, but 
having frequently seen his father butcher 
hogs, concluded, on the whole, that the 
teacher said hog instead of hawk, when the 
light flashed upon his mind, and being 
animated with the idea of being now able 
to finish his word so as to suit the require- 
ments of the teacher exactly, he triumph- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 23 

antly exclaims, "Oh yes, a butcher Tcnife" 
Now follows a tremendous roar of laugh- 
ter, which startles the entire neighborhood 
in which the school-house is located, and 
the little boy, poor fellow ! is nearly annihi- 
lated ; but tears coming to his relief, helps 
reason to maintain her empire, and the 
teacher finally being able to silence the up- 
roar, and speaking a word of encouragement 
to the afilicted scholar, tells the class they 
must take that lesson over again. 

In this horrible manner a large portion of the 
scholar's time is consumed in school, paralyzing 
his mind more than imparting useful instruc- 
tion, and wasting and blunting the energies of 
the thousands who are sent there for instruc- 
tion. Yet all the exercises had in our schools 
to teach scholars to spell are on this principle. 
Some teachers give out a certain number of 
words each day, requiring their pupils to 
write them, after which their bad spelling is 
corrected. In order to learn to spell in this 
manner, scholars must first learn to read and 
write, and be able to refer to their diction- 
aries before they learn to spell, which, at the 
slow rate that scholars learn to read and write 
in our schools, could not be till they would 
become quite grown up to manhood ; and as a 



24: THE TETJE PHILOSOPHY OF 

teacher of this order never gives out more 
than ten or fifteen words for a lesson, and 
having but one lesson a day, according to 
custom, a scholar would not have more than 
six or nine hundred words to learn in a quar- 
ter, and allowing they went to school steady 
time the year round, they would have to go 
to school from five and a half to seven and a 
half years to learn to spell some twenty thou- 
sand words, which, in all probability, would 
bring them to the age of eighteen or twenty- 
one years, before they would be through a 
course of learning to spell, on this principle. 
But the fact is, that scholars never have ex- 
ercises enough in this method to teach them 
to spell so as to do them much good, and the 
lessons they do take in this way are generally 
passed by without much attention, as scholars 
at this age have their minds drawn out after 
other studies, and have generally given up the 
idea of ever becoming good spellers, the sea- 
son for studying this branch of learning hav- 
ing nearly passed away, and a multitude of 
new ideas, hopes, and aspirations now more 
fully occupy their minds. The idea of teach- 
ing scholars generally to be good spellers, is 
now entirely despaired of. The opinion for- 
merly had on this subject was, that when our 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 25 

schools should be better sustained by the pub- 
lic treasury, and teachers become more 
learned, we should arrive at a degree in this 
respect that would be tolerable. But having 
had these accessions for many years, and cor- 
responding efforts having been made, we find 
the public mind is now without hope, and, 
like the passengers and crew on an ill-fated 
steamer, we are each trying to save himself, 
while nearly all are going to swift destruction. 
When once total despair seizes upon the mind, 
it is most frequently indicated by silence, so 
we have heard nothing, nothing, nothing on 
this subject by way of encouragement for half 
a century. It is true, we frequently hear re- 
proaches cast upon the young for any defi- 
ciency shown in this respect, and frequently 
hear of persons losing good opportunities in 
consequence of it, and have even known some 
fail of obtaining the object of their greatest 
affections for the same reason. But, after all, 
we hear of no remedy ; none but the old cry 
of laziness and inattention, to encourage us, 
and bid us hope. And till now, for a long 
time, we have not heard so much as that from 
any public print. The following is from the 
Observer and Democrat, Utica, Nov. 13, 1854 : 
"Learning to Spell.— Bad spelling is dis- 
3 



26 THE TEUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

creditable. Every young man should be 
a master of his native tongue. He that 
will not learn to spell the language that 
is on his tongue and before his eyes every 
hour, shows no great aptitude for the duties 
of an intelligent, observing man. Bad spell- 
ing is therefore a discreditable indication; 
it indicates a blundering man — a man that 
cannot see with his eyes open. Accord- 
ingly, we have known the application of more 
than one young man made with great display 
of penmanship and parade of references re- 
jected for his bad spelling. Bad spelling is a 
very bad indication. He who runs may read 
it. A bright schoolboy, utterly incapable of 
appreciating your stores of science, arts and 
literature, can see your blunders. You will 
find it hard to inspire that boy with any great 
respect for your attainments. Bad spelling is 
therefore a mortifying and inconvenient de- 
fect. We have known men thrown into very 
prominent positions so ashamed of their defi- 
ciency in this respect, that they never ven- 
tured to send a letter until it had been revised 
by a friend. This was, to say the least of it, 
sufficiently inconvenient. "We say again, learn 
to spell. Keep your eyes open when you 
read, and if any word is spelt differently from 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 27 

your mode, ascertain what is right. Keep 
your dictionary before you, and in writing, 
whenever you have the least misgiving about 
the spelling of a word, look at it at once, and 
remember it. Do not let your laziness get 
the better of you." 

Yery good advice, to be sure ; but there is 
no remedy but to have your eyes wide open, 
and dictionary before you, after you have 
entered upon the active duties of life, which 
goes to show that we do not learn to spell at 
school. Again, from Hints on Education, 
contained in Mr. Roswell C. Smith's intro- 
duction to his quarto Geography, we have the 
following. He says : 

" Some instances of a superficial education 
may be noticed here in illustration of the prece- 
ding remarks. A superficial course is often pur- 
sued in respect to reading. To read with force 
and spirit, with ease and elegance, a person 
must understand what he reads ; he must 
have not only a general conception of the 
subject, but a knowledge of each particular 
word, otherwise it will be very much with 
him as it was with Milton's daughters, who 
were accustomed to read Greek to their father 
when he was blind, without knowing the 
meaning of a single word they uttered. A 



28 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

young lady of extensive but careless reading, 
remarked that she did like to hear a certain 
young clergyman pronounce the word * inge- 
nious ' as ' ingen-uous,' it sounded so much 
better." 

Tn the examination of nine teachers, all 
of whom proved bad readers, though well 
qualified in other respects, the cause was 
traced directly to their ignorance of the use 
of words. A person may be taught, it is 
true, to pause at the stops and marks, and 
may read thus in a measured pace, very much 
like a person marching, or rather like the 
players in Hamlet, who sawed the air most 
unmercifully. If further illustration were 
needed, the late reports in reference to certain 
schools in New England, doubtless as good as 
any in the land, would furnish it. Among 
other things, the most lamentable deficiency 
was observed in defining words, taken at ran- 
dom from the books they were in the daily 
habit of perusing. The grosser blunders in 
reading obviously consist in an improper 
knowledge of orthography, that is, either in 
miscalling the words according to their ele- 
mentary sounds, or in mispronouncing them 
according to the common standard. This 
branch of education, which may be considered 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 29 

the door or key of science, and therefore para- 
mount to all others, has come of late into 
great neglect. Spelling is learned much as 
we learn our vernacular tongue, by observa- 
tion and dint of memory. Teachers now-a- 
days, pass over this exercise in a hurried 
manner. It is carefully excluded from almost 
every " programme " at public examinations as 
in bad taste. Formerly it was thought to be 
a great accomplishment, as it really is, to be 
able to spell every word in the spelling-book, 
and many a pupil could, with truth, boast of 
it. Teachers then required all, both old and 
young, at stated intervals, to study their spell- 
ing lessons, and thorough work was made of it. 
Indeed, it was made the most prominent pursuit, 
but now it is cast into distance and shade. Such 
an interest was excited that teachers, pupils, 
parents, and friends would assemble in the 
evening at the school-house, for spelling exer- 
cises. But the old fashioned spelling schools, 
ever objects of great interest to all concerned, 
have long since become obsolete, and their 
places are often supplied by the grandiloquent 
lectures of some ignorant pretender to science, 
setting forth his ability to teach grammar per- 
haps in " twelve lessons," arithmetic in " twen- 
ty," and geography in about the same number, 
3* 



30 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

" without either book or map." This undoubt- 
edly shows the state of things in a pretty clear 
light, and virtually admits that the spelling- 
book is laid aside in many of our schools, al- 
though spelling-books of some kind are gene- 
rally retained and seem to be kept more for 
show than for any practical purpose, and 
hence people seldom learn to spell till they go 
into business or become authors. I was told 
by a teacher who had been three years in one 
of our public shools, that they had not, during 
that time, taken a class through the spelling- 
book. A lady in the same city told me that 
two little girls of hers, of suitable age to spell, 
had been to another public school several 
months, and had not had but two spelling, ex- 
ercises during that time. Thus we see the 
schools afford no aid to enable the young 
scholar to read words that he might be able 
to spell and pronounce them correctly, nor any 
exercise to teach scholars to spell but that of 
guessing. And as we have not shown the ab- 
surdity of this guessing system fully, I will 
quote from Zachos' New American Speaker, 
page 16, to show the infinite extent to which 
it might be carried. He is sufficiently extensive 
on the subject ; but I think some old guessers 
might exceed it. In speaking of the element- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 31 

ary sounds of the English language, lie 
says: 

" Indeed the greatness of the difficulty that 
attends this subject can only be appreciated 
by those who have directed to it a special at- 
tention. The gainful toil and trouble of our 
childhood is forgotten in the facility which 
long drilling and constant repetition have 
given to our maturer years. Yet the first 
three or four years of instruction are chiefly 
spent in teaching children the proper signifi- 
cance and use of those signs of sound. "When 
we consider that all this labor is owing to 
irregularities that can be swept away in one 
blow by the adoption of one simple law, viz., 
that of having a single sign for each element- 
ary sound, it seems a wonder that intelligent 
beings should submit to such a monstrous per- 
version of human labor. It is a subject I 
cannot here enter upon ; but the reformation 
proposed in this respect demands the earnest 
attention and practical cooperation of every 
one interested in the cause of education. 
What shall we make of a system of represent- 
ative signs, in view of anything rational or 
convenient, which leaves one a choice of eleven 
thousand six hundred and twenty-eight differ- 
ent ways of spelling the same word ? 



32 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

" To make my assertion good, I will take the 
word Constantinople. There are thirteen sim- 
ple sounds in it, not counting the final e, 
which is silent. A glance at the following 
analysis, with respect to the signs of sounds, 
will show that the analogy of common usage 
will justify one in representing several of 
these sounds by more than one sign, making 
in all nineteen different signs for thirteen 
sounds. These nineteen signs, according to 
the Algebraic Theory of Combinations, can be 
used to spell the word in eleven thousand six 
hundred and twenty-eight different ways. 
And this not throwing in any silent letters, 
in which words abound, and which might 
swell the present calculation to over a million. 
As a curiosity, one of these combinations is 
given — Kancdendonajple — -justified by the 
analogy of the sound k in kick, a in all, c in 
city, d in stopped, e in there, o in woman, a in 
was. Not only is there scarcely a letter in the 
language that represents one invariable sound, 
but most of them stand for so many different 
sounds as to place upon the present twenty-six 
letters the labor of representing one hundred 
sounds ! besides, twelve of these are often si- 
lent, and have no significance in combination. 
Such is this imbroglio and sense-confounding 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 33 

system of representative signs ! Nothing but a 
dry routine, a constant drilling and stultifying 
repetition can ever make a tolerable speller." 
I think this calculation is enough to make 
the cold sweat stand on a teacher's brow. 
The idea of guessing a million of times to get 
a word right, and the teacher consequently 
saying the word NEXT, a million of times 
has something in it that should cause the 
teacher to consider well the evils of the sys- 
tem. No wonder, then, that the cry is heard 
from Maine to California, that we have be- 
come a nation of poor spellers, and conse- 
quently poor readers, if we may guess a mil- 
lion of times to get one word right. No 
wonder that many wish to reconstruct the lan- 
guage in order to obviate this evil. No 
wonder that boys play truant so much, and 
hate studying in general, when they were so 
sadly balked in the first study they undertook. 
Had they been properly introduced to it, the 
large and almost boundlesss energies naturally 
in children would have enabled them to have 
triumphed speedily ; and feeling themselves 
conquerors in this, they would have possessed 
an invincible courage that would have carried 
them through all other studies triumphantly. 
But unfortunately we have ever taken a 



34: THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

wrong course to teach the young to read. 
We have required them to spell words before 
we taught them to read those words under- 
standingly, causing them to guess almost to 
infinity how to spell words which in most in- 
stances they could not read in a book, or know 
enough about to distinguish them from others 
in the lesson. 

And now the question arises : how do 
teachers teach scholars to read if they do 
not (as we have seen) teach them to read 
and spell words in a spelling-book, till they 
have become sufficiently acquainted with 
them to pronounce them at sight ? If you 
should go into the schools of our State, you 
would see thousands of the juveniles who are 
there learning to read, some engaged with 
the green pictorial primer, some with the 
first reader, and others with the second reader, 
etc. The pupils, at first learning their letters, 
and then reading a very few simple spelling 
and reading lessons alternately, the spelling 
lessons being destitute of any proper classifi- 
cation, and containing so few words in the 
aggregate, that they would be of very little 
help to them were they ever so correctly 
taught. But the fact is, teachers give very 
little or no attention to the spelling lessons 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 35 

contained in those readers ; but spend their 
time principally in dictating reading lessons to 
their pupils. So that the story of the Fly and 
the Spider, the Cruel Boy and the Robins, the 
Boy and the Butterfly, etc., are read in the 
hearing of the school, till they have all nearly 
learned them by heart ; and when they read 
those stories to their parents and friends, they 
depend more upon their memories in reading 
or rehearsing them, than upon any knowledge 
of the words which compose the sentences. 
And should their parents require them to read 
in a book containing lessons equally as easy, but 
which they had not previously learned, they 
would be quite unable to do so, which plainly 
shows that in order to make children good 
readers, they should first be taught words. But 
the universal practice is, that when they have 
committed one book to memory, or nearly so, 
they then take another, and so on, till each 
scholar has a library of reading books of his 
own. But should they continue on this prin- 
ciple to read all the series of reading books to 
infinity, they would still be poor spellers and 
stammering readers. 

Many seem to see this evil, but know not 
how to remedy it. I was telling an intelli- 
gent farmer not long since, my method of 



6b THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

teaching children to read ; I mentioned a class 
I had taught to read in three months, so that 
they conld read in any easy reader, one as 
well as another. He said his little girl learned 
to read some lessons in Sanders' first reader 
in four months, but she could not read any in 
other books. Another farmer who was stand- 
ing by, hearing the conversation, said, that 
was just the case with his girl whom he had 
sent to school three years ; she could read in 
no book but her little reader, and his little 
Johnny had heard her repeat the lessons so 
much that he could say them almost as well 
as she could, and he had never been to school, 
and did not know his letters. Thus it is that 
parents are betrayed, and their efforts to edu- 
cate their children rendered almost useless, 
through the indirect and inefficient course 
taken in our schools to instruct them. And 
after spending several years sending our child- 
ren to school, and buying a multitude of 
reading-books for them, and enduring a thou- 
sand anxieties as to their success, they are 
turned upon our hands a lot of stammering, 
unaccomplished readers, and poor spellers. 
Discouraged, disheartened, and their pros- 
pects for becoming thorough scholars nearly 
gone, unless we have a large amount of 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 37 

money to bestow upon their education, and 
can afford to send them to school several 
years longer. We have now had more than 
twenty years' practice with a series of reading- 
books in our schools. The manner in which 
we have generally, and still are using them, is 
productive of immense injury to the cause of 
education. It was never the intention of the 
first writer of a series of reading books, that 
they should supersede the spelling-book. This 
is evident when we read the preface and 
notes in Mr. Cobb's spelling-book which I 
take very great pleasure in placing before the 
reader, not only to establish the above fact, 
but also as the very highest evidence as to 
what should be learned before proceeding to 
reading lessons. And I would here beg the 
reader to note with care, that Mr. Cobb did 
not make those declarations to be heard of 
men; but with untiring patience wrote out 
with unsurpassed skill, and almost super- 
human invention, a spelling-book which con- 
tains more than thirteen thousand words, so 
perfectly classified in all its features as to ren- 
der it the most useful book that was ever 
written for our schools to aid the learner in 
this important elementary study. 
Let us hear Mr. Cobb — Cobb's New Speller, 



38 THE TEUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

page 16 — he says : " Orthography or Spelling 
being the first step towards the attainment of 
a good education, and particularly to a correct 
knowledge of the English language, it is 
highly important that every scholar should 
attain this before he is permitted to proceed to 
any higher branches of study. This branch of 
education is obviously much neglected in 
nearly all our schools. Teachers, whether 
they know orthography and pronunciation 
well or not, are apt to think these of little or 
no importance, and permit their scholars to 
pass to other lessons too soon. But this is very 
injudicious ; a building cannot be elegant and 
permanent unless erected on a good founda- 
tion, and a thorough knowledge of spelling 
and pronunciation can be obtained only by a 
repetition of the letters until the association 
of those letters and their sounds are deeply 
impressed upon the mind of the scholar." 

This is unchangeable truth, and the memory 
of Lyman Cobb should ever be dear to every 
parent's and teacher's heart for having written 
it. And those who have been carried away 
from it by false issues or theories, should, by 
every consideration, speedily return to it as 
the chief corner stone of all our success in 
education. On the same page let us hear Mr. 



TEACHING THE TOTING TO READ. 39 

Cobb still further, where he cautions teachers 
against the impropriety of introducing scholars 
to their reading lessons before they know the 
orthography and pronunciation of words. 
Those who are intrusted with the education 
of youth should have it deeply engraven on 
their memories. He says : 

"The practice of teaching a child to 
read or pronounce a reading lesson before 
he knows the orthography and pronuncia- 
tion of words, retards rather than facili- 
tates his progress in correct reading. ~No 
child should be required to attempt to read 
or pronounce a reading lesson until he is 
able to call or pronounce at sight the words 
commonly met with in composition, and this 
knowledge can be more easily acquired by 
reading or pronouncing words in the spelling 
columns of a spelling-book, judiciously and 
analogically classed, than in detached reading 
lessons. If the scholar be required to read or 
pronounce words in a reading lesson before 
he has learned to sound or pronounce them 
separately in spelling columns at sight, he 
will hesitate, and will most generally be con- 
firmed in the habit of stammering while read- 
ing; for although a child may know perfectly 
well how to spell a word, and to divide it as it 



4:0 THE TKUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

is in a spelling column, yet, when he sees the 
same word in a reading lesson, the syllables 
being closed up, it presents a new appearence 
to him. It shonld always be borne in mind 
that reading is the enunciation or pronounc- 
ing of words by syllables^ and that, there- 
fore, each syllable in every word should be as 
distinctly enunciated or pronounced as if the 
whole reading lesson were composed of mony- 
syllables only. Hence the importance of pro- 
nouncing words at sight in spelling columns. 
Unless children do acquire a correct and dis- 
tinct enunciation of each syllable in spelling 
columns, they rarely or never acquire it in 
after life ; for in the practice or business of 
reading, the pauses, emphasis, cadence, etc., 
occupy all, or nearly all their attention." 

Thus one of the greatest educators of his 
time faithfully sounded the note of alarm, and 
did not fail to place it conspicuously in every 
reading-book which he prepared for the 
instruction of the young learner. But unfor- 
tunately the friendly warning was unheeded, 
the country took a wrong course in regard to 
the well-intended use of a series of school 
readers, and instead of using them as helps, 
do now, to a great extent, use them as a 
medium of teaching the English language. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 41 

The system of instruction set forth in the 
following pages does not differ from that of Mr. 
Cobb, as to what should first be learned, but 
its main feature consists in a direct method 
of teaching hitherto unknown, that enables 
the learner, from the outset, to rapidly acquire 
a knowledge of the English language. It 
enables the teacher to cooperate with the 
scholar in enabling him to learn the words 
and elements in a direct manner, so that the 
teacher can give constant and direct aid to 
the learner in all his efforts to learn the lan- 
guage. All other systems leave the learner 
nearly in a helpless condition, inasmuch 
as he cannot help himself, and renders the 
teacher of very little help to him. This sys- 
tem is just the American idea, inasmuch as 
it enables the scholar to learn as fast again 
and as well again, and qualifies the teacher 
to do more than twice the work that he can 
perform under the old system. If this system 
was introduced into all our schools it would do 
more to Americanize the thousands who 
come from the old world than all others com- 
bined ; it would enable us more than any one 
thing else to maintain our American charac- 
ter, as hundreds of thousands would go into 
our schools and learn to read our language, and 
4* 



42 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

thus become like one of us. On this method 
an industrious teacher could take one hun- 
dred young men without any one to help him, 
and teach them to read in four or six months. 
There is not the least difficulty in teaching 
children to read sufficiently to join a class in 
Sunday-school in three or four months. Thus 
in a few weeks, not only teaching children to 
read, but introducing them much earlier than 
usual to a school acknowledged by all to be a 
great blessing to the community. This sys- 
tem will teach children to be good spellers 
and readers so young that they will have 
much more time for other studies at school 
than they now have, and their minds will be 
more vigorous than those trained up under 
the old systen. 

Believing that a short account of the rise 
and progress of the Direct System will be in- 
teresting, and serve to place it in a more prac- 
tical light before the public, I here give a short 
sketch of it, showing, that if the theory is good, 
the practice is equally so, which is not the 
case with many theories presented for public 
consideration. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 43 



THE DISCOVERY AND SUBSEQUENT PROGRESS 



AUTHOR'S SYSTEM OF DIRECT TEACHING. 

In the month of August, 1831, 1 went into 
a large school, where I found five quite inter- 
esting boys, that were from eight to eleven 
years of age, who had been to school from two 
to three years, without learning their letters. 
I used all the skill I was master of for some 
considerable time, to teach them the letters* 
but to my astonishment I found all my efforts 
perfectly unavailing. I had formerly had the 
reputation of succeeding tolerably well with 
scholars of this description, and to be balked 
on a lot of boys of sound mind, as they were, 
seemed more than I was willing to submit to ; 
it lay with considerable weight on my mind. 
One evening, after retiring to rest, the subject 
of teaching those boys to read came up before 
me ; I had already tried every art I was mas- 
ter of to no purpose whatever — indeed, I could 
not safely say that I had taught them one let- 



4A THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

ter. At last I thought upon a plan I would 
enter upon the next day, and see what effect 
it might have upon this class of hopefuls. In 
the morning, I procured a new elementary 
spelling-book for each of them. "When the 
school was called to order, and we were ready 
to begin the school exercises, I called out this 
class of boys, had them stand in line like other 
classes, gave each of them a spelling-book. 
I told them I was going to put out words to 
them in the spelling-book; that I wanted 
them to be sure and keep their places, and 
do their best to call their letters, and pro- 
nounce the word after they had read it ; that I 
would tell them when they failed to call the 
letters right; that I wanted each scholar to 
look at the words while being read. I told 
them I thought they would soon learn their 
letters in this way, if they would be good boys 
to look on, and mind their places. I then 
began with the syllable lessons, and read 
through the first lesson on this principle. I 
gave them a new lesson every time they read, 
and I was soon very greatly encouraged. I 
knew they were learning very fast, and they 
knew it as well as I did. They read right for- 
ward, never taking a lesson over. They soon 
got so expert in reading in this way, that they 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 4:5 

could dispatch a page of spelling to a lesson 
— they had now learned their letters perfectly. 
They read through the book, taking a new les- 
son every time they read. I now found I 
should have to adopt this plan in all my school ^ 
which I did, as this ABO know-nothing class 
had got so that they could read better than a 
small class I had been hearing read in the old 
way, and were considered at the commence- 
ment of the school as being fair readers. At the 
end of six months this abecedarian class be- 
came the medium spellers in school. One of 
them was considered the third choice in our 
spelling-schools. They could read very well 
in the old English Eeader. This, to me, was 
the end of teaching school on the old plan. I 
thought at the time that there was ^principle in 
this that was worth the attention of the world. 
The next school I went into was what 
is called in our town, the North School ; here 
I taught on the new plan with like success. 
During the process of this school I had a 
scholar sent me from a distance, who was re- 
presented to have been to school considerably, 
but his teachers could not get him beyond a 
knowledge of the letters. He was a son of 
one of the ablest school-teachers of the coun- 
try, and his father had made every effort 



46 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

known to teach him to read ; he was during 
that winter teaching school in his own district 
— the school-house being located within a few 
rods of his own dwelling, so that nothing but 
stern necessity made him send his son to a 
strange school. I knew nothing of his case 
till I read his letter of introduction. They 
verily thought him a hard fellow. I com- 
menced with him on my plan, and in three 
weeks he had gone through the ab's, and the 
following lessons, and had got to reading in 
the Bot-a-ny table on the forty-first page in the 
Elementary Spelling-book. When his father 
came to see how he was getting along, he ap- 
peared very much surprised and delighted ; 
wished to know how I had done it. When I 
told him, he said he should take him home, 
for he could now teach him as well as I could, 
which he did, for he early became a good 
scholar and an able teacher. 

Thus I continued with like success till the 
winter of 1851, never failing in a single instance, 
where I had a scholar under my instruction as 
long as three or four months, to teach him to be 
quite a good speller and reader in easy reading 
books. During this winter (1851) I called the 
special attention of the town superintendent 
to a class of four little scholars, which had 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 47 

come into my school. I told him I should 
make them readers in easy reading-books in 
three months, which I did ; and on the last day 
of the quarter, they each read a lesson before 
the school and spectators who attended, with 
as much confidence and propriety as could be 
wished; and it should be borne in mind that I 
did not let them see those lessons till the day 
before they read them before the school, and 
that they had not heard them read in school, 
and that they read them from a knowledge of 
the words. One of them read a piece entitled 
The Lord's Prayer Versified, in Sanders' Se- 
cond Reader, page 175. One read a piece 
in the same book, on the 180th page, called 
My Bible. The others read a piece in Cobb's 
Reader, Ko 2, page 142, entitled My Mother, 
containing fourteen verses, one reading the 
first seven verses, and the other the remainder. 
The manner of their reading greatly surprised 
those who came in to see the school, as 
they read without repetitions or stammering, 
minding the pauses in a proper manner, and 
keeping their places with their eye. I made 
diligent inquiry as to the success of other 
scholars of like age, who were beginners, and 
I found none that had gone further than to 
learn their letters, and be able to read the aWs, 



48 THE T&UE PHILOSOPHY OF" 

while tins class had read the spelling-book 
through once, and the second time to the 80th 
page (Elementary Spelling-book), and had 
read all the words in Sanders' Pictorial Pri- 
mer, as spelling lessons, and had read Cobb's 
Header, No. 2, as reading lessons, nearly 
through. 

In the winter of 1852, I was in a school of 
large scholars, where I had no opportunity 
with small scholars whatever. But in the 
winter term, 1853, of that same school, which 
term began on the thirteenth of September, 
and continued till the first of April, the year 
following, 1 was requested to take four small 
scholars — one little girl, seven years old ; one 
six ; one little boy, in delicate health, six years 
old, and one boy seven or eight years old. 
The last had been to school, as near as I could 
learn, more than two years. He knew but 
two of his letters, A and O, and W some- 
times. This last boy did not come very steady 
on account of sickness : he learned his letters, 
however, during the winter, and could read 
most of the words in Cobb's New Spelling- 
book, when he had the words pronounced for 
•him, and was occasionally aided to pronounce 
the syllables. I have since heard that he 
has learned to read. I saw him in Sabbath- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 49 

school not long since, reciting his lesson with 
great seeming satisfaction to his teacher. And 
here, allow me to say, I think it is very likely 
that little boy wonld never have recited a les- 
son in a Sabbath-school, if it had not been for 
the discovery of the direct method of teach- 
ing the young to read. 

The two little girls, and the other little boy 
mentioned, knew their letters pretty generally, 
but could read no more than a few of the syl- 
lable lessons, and those but imperfectly. I 
gave them lessons in the United States Spell- 
ing-book, because I thought they would be 
able to keep their places better. The little 
boy that was hard to learn, read with them, 
and also with the whole school, twice a day, 
as I shall hereafter describe. "When they had 
read about sixty pages in this spelling-book, 
they could read the words with such dispatch, 
that I told them I could let them read with 
the whole school twice a day, if they would 
get Cobb's New Spelling-book, which they 
immediately procured, after which they had 
six lessons or exercises in a day, in the two 
spelling-books ; you will see how this was done 
when you come to read the remarks on class- 
ing schools. I utterly refused to let them at- 
tempt to study, keeping their books on my 
5 



50 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

table, except when they had their reading ex- 
ercise ; but I soon found that they were read- 
ing at home, and their parents sent me word 
that if I wished they would get their little 
scholars a reading-book. I returned answer 
that I thought they did not yet need one. 
Some time after this I met the father of the 
little boy first named, when he saluted me by 
saying, " Why don't you get my little boy a 
reader, he can read almost as well as I can, 
he is reading the Testament and newspaper, 
and every book he can get hold of, and I think 
you should get him a reading-book." I told 
him that in order to teach a child to read, we 
had to teach them to read words first, that all 
the time I could devote to teaching his boy, I 
thought it better employed in teaching him to 
read words than to spend it in a reading-book. 
He did not, however, seem to understand the 
subject; thought his boy a smart little fellow 
to learn ; considered none could go before him 
if he had a good chance, and here, I must say, 
the greatest secret of this little boy's success 
was in his giving such close attention to the 
exercise ; he would not let a word pass unless 
he saw it ; he was the most attentive scholar I 
think I ever had, and I never knew one, under 
all circumstances, that succeeded better; he 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 51 

was so bashful at first that it was difficult to 
get him to read, and the only way I could do 
so was, to have his brother stand in the class 
with him, and take the same exercises he did. 
At the end of three or four weeks he had 
gained sufficient confidence to read alone. 
Two weeks before the school closed, which 
was on the first day of April, I got readers for 
the smallest girl and the little boy — it was 
Town's Header, No. 2. There was a young 
lady in my school, who had taught school con- 
siderably ; I asked her to come forward and 
hear the little scholars read their first lesson, 
which she did ; the books were entirely new to 
them. I gave them the lesson, and they read 
it, keeping their places with their eye, and no 
one had to show them in the least where the 
place was, as is usual with beginners in the 
old system. She expressed herself as being 
much delighted, said she had never seen be- 
ginners read in that way before ; could not 
see how it could be possible, but the great 
secret was, they knew how to read the words, 
and so they could pronounce them in sen- 
tences. 

The other little girl was a little older, and 
her mind, consequently, more matured ; she 
had got along faster than the rest. 1 had, 



52 THE TEUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

some weeks before, let her go into a reading- 
class in Town's Reader, No. 3. She made good 
work of it, and frequently read selections from 
Sweet's Elocution, to the great delight of spec- 
tators who visited our school. She attended 
school very steadily after she commenced go- 
ing, and went more days than the others. The 
little boy went ninety-two days, and the small- 
est girl attended less than ninety days. At 
the end of the term they went to the Sab- 
bath-school, where they have since regularly 
attended. 

During the summer following I kept school 
in the same place, and had both small and 
large scholars, when I had abundant opportu- 
nity to see the triumph of the direct system. I 
had scholars fresh from schools that knew no- 
thing about it, who had nearly committed to 
memory Readers No. 1 and 2, and came with 
No. 3 in hand, thinking I was going to 
teach them that in the same manner. I did 
no such thing; I did not hear them read a 
reading lesson till several weeks had passed. 
All the time that reasonably belonged to them 
in school, I employed with them in spelling- 
book exercises, in reading, pronouncing, spell- 
ing and keying words, till they learned that 
words were composed of letters and syllables, 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 53 

that every word contained a vowel, that gave 
character to the pronunciation of that word ; 
that words of two or more syllables had an ac- 
cented syllable which contained a vowel, that 
gave character to the word in general ; that 
the different vowel sounds were indicated by 
figures placed over them in the spelling 
columns, and also over standard words, which 
would clearly indicate to them the character 
of the vowel sound over which it was placed ; 
and after teaching them the use and applica- 
tion of the above, and how to read the vowel 
sounds in words, without speaking the name 
of the letter, I commenced hearing them in 
their reading lessons. They were now more 
than half their own schoolmasters. Instead 
of guessing at a word as a whole, they now had 
the secret of finding the proper pronunciation 
of the same from a knowledge of the elements, 
and being able to call words correctly in sen- 
tences, they were now able to learn the mean- 
ing of words by their connection with other 
words in the same sentence. This school be- 
came so interested in their spelling and read- 
ing-books, that it was more a pleasure than a 
task to instruct them. 

During this summer, at the request of my 
friends in Kemsen and Trenton, I visited seve- 
5* 



54 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

ral of their schools, and gave them a lecture 
on the direct system of instruction. It was 
perfectly overwhelming wherever I went, and 
no doubt seemed to exist as to its propriety 
and advantage over every other system known. 
I visited seven schools in this way and found 
the teachers and trustees invariably anxious 
to introduce it into their schools, but felt them- 
selves in want of a manual containing suitable 
instructions on the subject, to enable them to 
do so successfully. I see but two obstacles in 
the way of introducing the direct system into 
all our schools at once : the first is in the teach- 
ers themselves; they need to be better or- 
thoepists. This, where they have a will, can 
soon be accomplished. The other is a want of 
suitable spelling-books. The most of our 
spelling-books in use are too small, that is, con- 
tain too few words ; there is no spelling-book 
now in use that contains the number of words 
that I could wish to meet the wants of this 
system. I think we should have a spelling- 
book containing twenty thousand words. In 
such a book we would have a large pronounc- 
ing vocabulary of modern geographical names, 
retaining all that we now have in our best 
spelling-books, besides somewhat enlarging its 
spelling lessons. But the smallness of our 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 55 

spelling-books is not the only objection to 
them. Their classification is such, or having 
no classification at all, that it renders them un- 
fit for our use in the direct method of instruc- 
tion. Is it not a matter of the most profound 
astonishment, that we have so many spelling- 
books forced upon our schools, containing no 
classification whatever — not a single mark 
whatever contained in the whole book to indi- 
cate the vowel sound of a single word con- 
tained in them ? Books of this description are 
more generally in our schools than any other, 
and teachers emanating from schools of the 
highest order seem more inclined to introduce 
such books than any other, and not many 
years ago, our State Convention of County 
Superintendents recommended one of the lead- 
ing books of this tribe, as the most suitable 
spelling-book of any for the use of common 
schools in our State. Are we thus to be driven 
back to a state of barbarism by the same men 
who, of all others, should save us from it ? Are 
we no longer to have any means of knowing 
how to pronounce our words correctly but 
that of asking our school-teacher, who knows 
nothing of the subject except what his nurse 
has told him ? What will all the big diction- 
aries and normal charts in our school districts 



56 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

avail us, if we are to be taught in this man- 
ner? 

At the close of my school, it was visited by 
the Rev. Andrew Peck and Rev. Richard 
Redhead. We spent the afternoon showing 
them the exercises had in the direct method 
of learning to read, after which the Rev. 
Andrew Peck addressed the school. He com- 
menced by saying that he acknowledged him- 
self an entire convert to the system ; that he 
believed it to be the greatest discovery of the 
age ; that he thought if it were introduced 
into our schools, it would do more for them 
than all the improvements had therein for a 
century past. This, together with similar tes- 
timony, led me to believe that it would yet be 
appreciated by the public, whenever it should 
be suitably brought before them. 

During the fall of 1853 I visited my bro- 
ther, who resides in the town of Turin, Lewis 
County. He had some knowledge of the 
direct system, having visited my schools, and 
conversed considerably with me on this sub- 
ject, but had not till this time felt any very 
great personal interest in it. On arriving at 
his house, he said, " Well, John, I have 
thought a great deal lately about your way of 
teaching school." "Ah!" said I, "how is 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 57 

that, brother?" " Why," said he, " we have 
sent our little Mary to school this summer, 
and she has not lost but one day in six 
months, and she knew all the letters perfectly 
before she went, and she has learned scarcely 
anything all summer. She can't read words of 
two syllables, and she has held her book in 
her hands trying to study it till the lower part 
is all gone." " The old story," said I, truly. 
" ]STow, brother, do you go to the school-house 
and tell your teacher that I will give a lecture 
on the new method of teaching the young to 
read." It was arranged to be at the school- 
house the next day at nine o'clock. There 
was a good attendance of trustees and inhab- 
itants, three school teachers among the rest, 
and after hearing the lecture, they were so 
well pleased with the system that they were 
determined to adopt it as far as they were 
able. They hired one of the teachers that 
heard the lecture to teach their winter school, 
who taught it on the direct system as near as 
she was able, and at the end of the term, 
which was four months, I received a letter 
from my brother, stating that they had suc- 
ceeded admirably; that little Mary had 
learned to read so that she could read in the 
Testament, and could spell very well in the 



58 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

spelling-book generally, which was Cobb's 
New Spelling-book. 

In the winter of 1854 I kept in my own dis- 
trict. At the commencement of the term, the 
superintendent called on me, and wished me 
to show him my method of teaching. Ac- 
cordingly, I showed him the exercises in full, 
both in spelling and reading. At the close, 
he addressed the school at considerable length, 
expressed himself highly delighted with the 
new method, said he should recommend it in 
the schools throughout the town. In this 
school I have a class of small scholars, my lit- 
tle daughter, six years old, among the rest. 
I had refused to let her go to school the sum- 
mer before, because we had a teacher that 
taught in the old way. The school was free 
from any charges, and we had a good teacher 
of the old stamp, the daughter of one of my 
most respected and intimate friends, to whom 
I made an apology for not sending my little 
girl to school to his daughter. I could not 
endure the thought of sacrificing her young 
mind to such a system. She attended my 
school forty-two days, during the term being 
detained at home on account of sickness. She 
knew nearly all the letters when she com- 
menced going, but in that short space of time 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. .59 

she learned to read most of the words in 
Cobb's New Spelling-book, was able to key 
most of them on the book, could read easy 
reading-books generally, several of which she 
read through after the school had closed, 
among the rest a Sunday-school book entitled 
"A Day in Mary Carrow's School." The 
summer term following, this little girl went to 
school ninety-eight days, to a young girl, 
fifteen years of age, who taught in our district 
on the direct system, after which I took her to 
the Teachers' Institute, held in Ulica, where 
she read before the Institute from books she 
had never before seen, without miscalling a 
word, and in articulation there was not her 
equal in the Institute. 

During the summer of 1854 I kept a select 
school. There was a little girl whom I should 
judge to be six or seven years old, who 
attended this school. She had been sent to 
school several months before, and did not 
make much progress. She knew nearly all 
the letters; but her parents began to think 
she would be very hard to learn, and so they 
sent her to me. After she had been in my 
school three or four days, her mother called 
to see how she was getting along. She had 
heard I could teach children to read very fast, 



60 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

and she thought the way I necessarily did it 
was to give them large lessons to study, and 
in case they did not get them well, to punish 
them severely. She verily thought I had no 
other way to get along with scholars but this, 
and she had been thinking how her little girl 
was going to fare, and was very uneasy about 
it, and well she might be. She thought her 
little r "rl would be hard to learn, and would 
requrra considerable time to learn to read. I 
told her I thought her little girl would learn 
to read without much difficulty ; that I should 
net want her to study any at all during the 
quarter ; that I should not allow her to have 
her book only when she read the exercises, 
and the rest of the time she could amuse her- 
self about whatever she pleased to pass away 
the time, provided she did not disturb the 
school. After this she left me, seeming to be 
better satisfied of the girl's safety, but she did 
not believe I could teach her in this new way 
very soon ; she thought there was not enough 
study in it. This scholar went nearly all the 
quarter, was unwell a few days, which kept 
he ; out of school, but, like the rest who take 
the direct system course, she learned to read. 
I saw her in the Sabbath-school a short time 
after my school closed. They told me she re- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 61 

cited the lessons, and could read very well in 
the Testament, and this her father assured me 
to be the fact ; said she could read in the Tes- 
tament very well, and that she went regularly 
to Sunday-school. He seemed very much de- 
lighted. 

In the winter of 1855, 1 taught school in 
Remsen village, where I had from sixty to 
eighty scholars that attended daily, among 
whom I had a class of thirty abecedarians and 
word readers. In this class I had one boy 
who had been sent a distance of fourteen miles 
expressly to attend my school. He was about 
ten years old, had been to school some years ; 
could not read at all, but knew his letters. 
He belonged to a family that were noted for 
learning, and boarded with Dr. "W. Griswold, 
a distant connection of his. After arriving 
in town to go to school, the doctor, seeing 
his ignorance, and being an old school- 
teacher himself, kept him in his office a con- 
siderable time, where he endeavored to in- 
struct him to read, that he might be able to 
enter upon his course something better than a 
beginner. But all to no use, as he assured me 
when he came to the schoolroom with him, 
saying he was unable to make the least per- 
ceptible impression on him, and did not be- 

6 



62 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

lieve it in my power to teach him to read and 
spell. Nothing discouraged, I put him in the 
abecedarian and word-reading class. Here I 
kept him, being obliged to use constant force 
to secure his attention to the reading exer- 
cises, which were reading words in Cobb's New 
Spelling-book in six parts. Six weeks after 
this I saw the doctor, when he assured me he 
begun to think I would teach his boy to read. 
Three months after this, Mrs. Griswold visited 
the school, out of curiosity, to see how I man- 
aged to teach her boy to read. She acknow- 
ledged herself convinced of the propriety of 
the system, and was much delighted to hear 
the boy read so fluently. Soon after this I 
saw the doctor, when he told me the boy had 
become an independent reader, being able to 
read any of his medical works, etc., and still 
this boy had not a moment of extra training 
during the school. 

In the summer of 1855 and winter of 1856, 
I taught school in Trenton village. During the 
summer term I had two scholars, two boys, 
six years of age. One knew his letters when 
he entered the school, and the other was a lit- 
tle more advanced. The latter was very small 
of his age, and ran away from a school taught 
by a young lady of superior education, and 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 63 

much experience in teaching, and entered my 
school after it had been some time in progress 
He was a boy of bad habits, and I endeavored 
not to receive him ; but after hearing the cause 
of his leaving the other school, I concluded to 
take him. And here, for the purpose of show- 
ing the material I had to work in this in- 
stance, and the various expedients resorted to 
to teach young children to read, permit me to 
tell what frightened this young lad from his 
school. He had a lesson in Sanders's Green 
Primer that contained the word pig, which he 
pronounced hog, and the teacher, after labor- 
ing a long time to have him pronounce it pig, 
and failing to make him do so, at last con- 
cluded to hang him up with a cord, after 
which he still persisted in calling it hog as be- 
fore. After this last expedient had failed, he 
was let down, when he took the first opportu- 
nity to run away. What led this young tyro 
astray in this instance was the picture of a 
hog on the same page, and not a pig, as he 
afiirmed, to which he referred the word for 
pronunciation ; and here I will say I hope the 
author of that work will insert the unmistak- 
able picture of a pig instead of a hog, to save 
our young scholars from a like fate. In less 
than sixty days after this, those two boys 



64 THE TETJE PHILOSOPHY OF 

could read well in Sanders's No. 3, and went 
to Sunday-school, and read and recited in the 
Testament with the rest of the school. 

At the commencement of the winter term, 
I had two scholars, one Yankee boy, six years 
old, and one German boy, seven years old; 
the first knew most of the letters, the latter 
none. They both learned to read the Testa- 
ment in less than four months, and went to 
Sabbath-school regularly. They read words 
only in the spelling-book while in school. 
The boy who had the misfortune to be hung, 
and the other mentioned in connection with 
him, attended about four months during the 
winter term, at the close of which they could 
read in Sweet's Elocution with much pro- 
priety. 

Numerous other examples might here be 
given from this school and others. This 
school averaged during the winter term, five 
months, fifty-three and a half scholars per day; 
had no assistant. During December, Janu- 
ary, and February, I had from sixty-five to 
seventy-five scholars per day; twenty in 
grammar, eighteen in geography, thirty-five 
in arithmetic, forty in writing. One young 
man, eighteen years of age, from a distance, 
attended this school eight months for the ex- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 65 

press purpose of learning to read. He became 
a fair reader. He also, during that time, went 
through Mitchell's Geography and the ground 
rules in arithmetic. 

In the fall of 1857, 1 attended the Teachers' 
Institute at Utica, where, as chairman of a 
committee for reporting the best method for 
teaching vocal reading, spelling and articula- 
tion, I reported substantially — the Direct 
System as set forth in this manual. The 
report being an entirely new system, elicited 
much debate. Prof. Johonnot, Commissioner 
Fowler, and others, took the floor in its favor. 
It was unanimously adopted. Subsequently 
I have been requested by Commissioner 
Fowler to attend the Institute to be held next 
fall at Utica, to give the teachers of our 
county Oneida a thorough drill in this method 
of teaching. Our commissioner also informs 
me that he is introducing this system into the 
schools in his district to a considerable extent, 
but sees the great want of a manual to enable 
teachers to make the desired change. 

Thus I have given a hasty sketch of the rise 
and progress, thus far, of the direct system. 
It is, of course, only now in its infancy, and 
has as yet been a blessing to only a few ; but 
if it is what I believe it to be, and claim for it, 
6* 



66 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

I hope the time is not far distant when it shall 
become a blessing to all throughout the world, 
who have to learn the English language — 
freeing parents and guardians from many ex- 
penses now had to educate their children, and 
saving them from years of toil and suffering 
in learning to read, making the business of 
learning to read pleasurable, and alike de- 
lightsome to children, teachers, and parents. 



CLASSING SCHOLARS IN SCHOOL, 

AND WHAT BOOKS TO BE USED. 

It will be observed that the following ap- 
plies no further than spelling and reading 
classes are concerned, and that this arrange- 
ment applies to county school district schools, 
where a teacher has scholars of every grade 
in his school, from the abecedarian to those 
in the highest branches taught in our schools. 
From the arrangement here made, I think it 
will be perfectly plain for other schools to 
class their scholars on this principle. It will 
be seen that scholars of very different attain- 
ments can be in the same class with perfect 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 67 

propriety, the exercises being varied to the 
capacities of each scholar, and yet in a man- 
ner to be equally interesting to the smallest 
and largest scholar in the school. The abe- 
cedarians will necessarily have to be con- 
sidered one class in school, although it is much 
better for the teacher, and infinitely better for 
the scholar to place them in the first class of 
word readers, as in that class the teacher is 
supposed to pronounce each scholar's word for 
him, and to aid him to read the letters and 
pronounce it for him whenever he is unable to 
do so himself. Such scholars should invariably 
be of sufficient age and mind to keep their 
places, or capable of being readily taught to 
do so. Here, if they keep their places (and 
if they do not, they had better be out of 
school), they will be able to see and hear the 
letters named at the commencement of their 
going to school, at least one hour each day, 
besides taking an equal part in the exer- 
cises themselves. But in a little time they 
will be able to look over and take part in the 
second class of word readers, and finally, with 
the class of spellers, at which time they can 
have an exercise in their letters, and in read- 
ing words, from two to three hours each day, 
which is a great advantage over the old 



68 THE TKUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

method, as that would afford the young be- 
ginner but abont four minutes a day in which 
to learn his letters. Thus it will be profitable 
to have the abecedarians merged into the first 
class of word readers, as soon as possible, and 
they may go in at once, if the teacher choose, 
which is the better way. Hence we will con- 
sider the abecedarian class and the first class 
of word readers as one class. 

The next, or second class, read words in the 
same manner as the first class, the teacher pro- 
nouncing each scholar's word, and the scholar 
reading it on the book, the teacher encourag- 
ing as many as can read their words correctly 
to do so without his assistance. This, how- 
ever, should not be done, unless the scholar is 
able to do it with dispatch, pronouncing the 
word before and after he reads it, so that all 
the class may know what the word is before it 
is read, and afterward. The third class in the 
spelling-book comprises all the school, the 
class being divided into three divisions. The 
abecedarians, or first class of word readers, the 
second class of word readers, and those who 
are able to spell, without missing very often. 
If scholars miss, they might as well keep their 
books open all the time. The first and second 
class divisions will have their books open all 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 69 

the time during the exercise ; the third division 
will have their books in their hands, and will 
close them when they are required to spell ; 
they also will have a variety of exercises to 
perform with their books open, in concert with 
the first and second divisions, and when a 
scholar in this misses his word in spelling, he 
is required to open his book and read it, or the 
word may better be read by the other divi- 
sions of the class. And when any scholar has 
found his way into the third division of this 
class that causes much delay, either by not 
spelling correctly, or by not readily finding 
his word when he misses it, let him go into the 
second division. The spelling-book exercises 
for each class will be fully explained hereafter. 
There will be but two reading classes needed 
in school. In no case should there be a 
reading class in a book smaller than Town's 
Second Eeader, or Sander's, Webb's, and 
Town's Third Eeaders. The second class 
should have the best elocutionary work which 
the school is able to procure, such as San- 
ders' and Town's ~No. 5, or Sweet's, Zachos' 
and Marshall's Elocution. This arrange- 
ment of classes will be such as to enable 
school-teachers to bestow much time in teach- 
ing his school words, which is the most impor- 



70 THE TftUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

tant study a school can be engaged in, till they 
are able to spell and read well. But where 
the arrangement of classes are such as they 
are now generally in schools, the teacher has 
no time to dictate words to his school. His 
whole time being taken up in teaching a mul- 
titude of what is generally called reading 
classes, but more properly story-learning 
classes, in the green primers, and No. 1 
readers, together with a lot of half-minute 
spelling-lessons, and perhaps a little class in 
mental arithmetic, who cannot read words of 
two syllables correctly, and a class in a little 
child's Geography, who have seen so little of 
the world, and their little minds have learned 
so little of common things, as not to see much 
difference between a lake and a mill-pond — a 
mud-puddle and the Atlantic Ocean. The wise 
man tells us there is a time for everything. 
Fellow school-teachers, suffer not the propen- 
sities and blindness of the present age to drive 
you from your proper work. First teach your 
scholars to read and spell words ; do this in a 
thorough manner, and when it is once done, 
your scholars will be able, without your help, 
to read the Bible, the news of the day, law, 
medicine, or divinity, and every book what- 
ever in the language, much better and earlier 



TEACHING THE YOtJHG TO HEAD. 71 

than they now do. I know it is said by a host 
of learned small-fry educators, that a scholar 
should be taught words no faster than they are 
able to apply them to reading-lessons. This, 
in the main, I hold to be an impossibility, 
knowing the words, they would know how to 
apply them. Again, on this principle, we 
could never teach a child the alphabet, or the 
most common arts of husbandry. On this 
principle we should never let our sons use a 
hoe, or an axe, a plough, or a scythe, till they 
knew perfectly well how to hoe a field of corn, 
to chop down our forests, to plough our fields, 
or to cut the grass of our meadows. It is this 
doctrine that is turning the spelling-book out 
of our schools, and reducing them to a size 
that renders them nearly useless in teaching 
the language. 

Give children, then, by every consideration, 
a knowledge of words, and like implements of 
husbandry in their hands, the occasion, circum- 
stance, and necessity will show them how to 
apply them, and perfect them in their use. 
Give children, then, a thorough knowlege of 
words, even no more than to the amount con- 
tained in some of our largest spelling-books, 
and they will be better off than they would 
were they to read any series of reading-books 



72 THE TETJE PHILOSOPHY OP 

that ever were printed. Give children words, 
and they will find a way to nse them, as rea- 
dily as a boy wonld find out the way to use a 
sharp hatchet. 

I know parents and guardians are pleased 
to have their children learn to read sentences, 
and so they should be ; and when they send a 
little son or daughter to school, and he conies 
home in a few weeks and is able to read, or 
more properly, recite in the main, some little 
story from (or in if you please) a small reader, 
they are greatly delighted, and without re- 
flection think their little son or daughter has 
got along finely, when in fact, they have 
learned nothing of consequence about read- 
ing. If they would allow themselves to 
make a proper examination, they would find 
to their regret that they had learned a story by 
heart more than they had learned to read it by 
any knowledge of the words composing the 
sentences. On this subject teachers should 
bestow much attention. I have often, when 
first going into a new school, and seeing the 
little ones come in loaded with books that 
were perfectly unfit for them, been sick- 
ened and discouraged at the prospect that- 
lay before me. For here, if I should give 
way to the current that was setting against 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 73 

me, it would render my service of very little 
use to them. And if I changed the order of 
their studies I should have to make a world 
of apologies and explanations to them and 
their parents, which would impose a vast 
amount of extra labor on me; but feeling 
much responsibility resting on me, and fortu- 
nately for me, late years having some pro- 
minent inhabitants in the district that knew 
and approved my method of teaching school, 
I have had no great difficulty in making the 
necessary changes, except the extra labor it 
naturally incurs. I hope that teachers to 
whom this manual shall come, will have both 
the moral and physical courage necessary to 
enable them to make the changes in the mode 
of instructing the young, here set forth, and 
I feel assured, if they at first cannot carry it 
into effect as skillfully as an old experienced 
teacher therein, they will do even at first a 
vast deal better than they can possibly in the 
old way of instruction. Try it, friends ; send 
all the little green, pictorial primers and first 
readers home, and perhaps many of the 
second readers — all at least for a season — and 
every kind of baby books, and get you a 
large, well-classified-spelling book, and teach 
the little and the big \)oth to read and spell v 

r 



74: THE TBUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

and key their words on the book and off the 
book, and you will never have occasion to 
stand, and point out, and pronounce words in 
reading books as you have done and you will 
never see the tribe of little books you sent 
away return. Your scholars will need larger 
and more advanced books, and will thank 
you to the end of their lives for having taught 
them to read in the direct method. 

Cobb's ISTew Spelling-book is the only one I 
know of that is properly arranged to meet 
the wants of the direct system of instruction. 
The United States Spelling-book might be~ 
used if its pronunciation was not an inno 
vation on all our standard works. Sanders' 
has a good classification, but it contains too 
few words. The elementary contains too few 
words, and its marks of reference are not in 
all respects convenient for children. Town's 
has no classification as far as pronunciation is 
concerned to make it available in this me- 
thod. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 75 



METHOD OP 

TEACHING THE ALPHABET. 

The alphabet is usually taught in the 
direct method. When the attention of the 
learner can constantly be secured and a cor- 
responding effort made by the teacher, child- 
ren generally learn it in a few days ; but it 
seldom happens that this is done. For most 
generally the scholar is hurried through his 
lesson in a manner that renders it impossible 
for him to remember any part of it. The exer- 
cise generally had is to call the alphabet over 
twice to the scholar. If we allow one second 
for the time of pronouncing each letter, we 
see the whole exercise is over in less than a 
minute. But when the teacher is hurried by 
a press of business, which is generally the 
case, they repeat it much faster, and fre- 
quently go over it but once. But allowing 
one minute of time for the abecedarian to say 
his lesson, and allowing him to have four 
Lessons a day, we see he has but four minutes 
in a day to learn his letters ; and allowing 



76 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

sixty days to the quarter, it will leave him 
four hours during that time in which to learn 
his letters. Thus, the great mystery why 
children do not learn the letters sooner is 
easily discovered. The greatest wonder of all 
is, how they learn them at all in this manner. 
Some, indeed, may say that there is more 
time given to the abecedarian in our schools 
generally ; but from my own observation I 
firmly believe that in the aggregate they do 
not have more time. But in very many 
instances there is not over one half the time 
given them that I have here allowed. But 
suppose them to have twice as much time 
given them, they would then have but eight 
hours in the quarter, which is far too little 
time to learn the alphabet. Then, give them 
sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, or one hundred 
and twenty hours, or even more than that 
amount, so that they may have a proper 
chance to learn their letters. " Oh, but," say 
you, " it is impossible ; this can never be 
done, for it is totally out of the question for 
a teacher to spend anything like that amount 
of time with the young scholar." Not too 
fast, fellow-teacher, not too fast; it is per- 
fectly easy when we know how ; and where 
there is a will there is a way, and if any 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 77 

teacher wishes to know the way, he has only 
^ to read The Philosophy of Teaching the 
£ Young to Bead and the way will be perfectly 
plain to him. 

It is reasonable that every one who goes to 
school should be engaged in some useful 
study or exercise. The young scholar by 
himself cannot study his letters nor his spel- 
ling lessons at first. He must be aided in 
learning these or he will not learn them in a 
very long time. Again, under the present 
indirect method of teaching the young, it is 
impossible for the teacher to bestow only a 
very little time each day upon the abece- 
darian and the young word reader. Hence the 
imperative necessity of a change in our school 
system that will enable the school-teacher to 
come to the immediate aid of the young 
scholar, by giving him a suitable exercise that 
will enable him to read words correctly, thus 
preparing him to help himself. For at no 
period of his study will he ever need one 
hundredth part of the help that he claims 
here. The abecedarians, when there is only 
a few of them, may, in a very few days, be put 
into the first class of word readers, whether 
they know their letters fully or not, for here I 
mainly teach children their letters. But sup- 
1* 



78 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

posing a teacher had a hundred beginners in 
the alphabet (and he could manage even 
double that number of orderly attentive 
scholars), let him give each of them a spelling- 
book and direct them to begin at A, and 
speak the letters in concert, moving down or 
up at the direction of the teacher. The 
teacher saying A in a loud distinct manner, 
and the whole class looking at the letter and 
speaking it in concert after him distinctly, 
and with quantity ; then let the teacher point 
out its distinctive features to the class, the class 
all the time looking at the letter while hear- 
ing the remarks of the teacher. "When in the 
estimation of the teacher the class has dwelt 
on that letter long enough, let him say 
" down," when all the class should move 
down to B, the teacher pronouncing it as 
before, and the class speaking it after him, 
and so on as before. In this way a teacher 
could keep a class of abecedarians at work 
during the entire day, and no one could well 
avoid learning the letters in a few days. This 
exercise would be applicable to a large class 
of young men that were learning to read. I 
sincerely hope there will be many such classes 
formed when the direct system becomes 
known. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO EEAD. 79 

But suppose a few were inattentive, the 
teacher could easily select them out and give 
them a separate exercise for their special 
benefit, while the rest of the class were rest- 
ing or looking over. But I should recom- 
mend a teacher of such a class to put them 
into spelling lessons without waiting for every 
one to learn all the letters perfectly. Scholars 
will look with more attention at the letters 
when they are going to form a word with 
them, and think harder to call their names 
correctly than when they are going to say 
them singly in the alphabet ; and this being 
true, they will learn the letters faster, and also 
how to read words at the same time. A 
teacher should have each scholar take his 
turn in reading occasionally, so as to test his 
progress, or if he cannot make the exercise 
interesting in so large a class, he should 
divide it into smaller classes. But here there 
would be danger of letting the time of many 
run to waste. I think a teacher can interest 
a large number of scholars as well as a few 
where the lesson is alike needed by all. I 
have had, in a few instances, two hundred, 
and frequently one hundred in a class for an 
experiment, and I found no difficulty in gain- 
ing their attention and keeping them to their 



80 THE TETJE PHILOSOPHY OF 

work. Practice and close observation would 
soon enable a teacher to instruct a large num- 
ber of scholars on this principle. And I have 
not the least doubt but that a teacher could 
take from one to two hundred scholars, and in 
from four to six months teach them to be very 
good readers ; and I would here say, there is 
no employment I could engage in with so 
much pleasure as to demonstrate this prac- 
tically to the world, and if any of the friends 
of education in Boston, New York, or Phila- 
delphia, or any other convenient place should 
see fit to make an arrangement by which this 
might be fully tested, I will hold myself 
ready to enter upon it at the earliest oppor- 
tunity. 

What would be the effect on the American 
character, if a teacher had the power of teach- 
ing a hundred or more scholars to read during 
one winter? How many thousands of the 
grown' up multitudes that come here from the 
the old world would educate themselves, 
who now remain in servile ignorance, selling 
their vote, perhaps, on election-day for a 
drink of grog. If our schools were conducted 
on this principle it would be a great corrector 
for many evils we now endure both politi- 
cally and socially. It would give sight to 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 81 

the blind, and be a stronger bulwark for the 
defence of our liberties than all our fleets and 
armies. 



EXERCISING THE 

FIRST CLASS OF WORD READERS. 

The first class of word readers are supposed 
to know their letters perfectly, although this 
is not often the case at the beginning of a 
school. They should keep their places cor- 
rectly, and look on with much attention ; they 
may differ considerably in their attainments 
in reading without any disadvantage to any 
one in the class, as they take a new lesson 
every time they read, and consequently no 
one in the class is delayed in his lessons on 
the account of others, the poorest scholar in 
the class not taking but a very little more 
time than the best one, as the teacher helps 
him on with his word when he is unable to 
help himself ; but the best scholar w T ill have 
all he can do to keep his place and see all the 
words as they pass. This class will never 
shut up their books to spell, but the scholar 
reads the word after the teacher puts it out 



82 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

to him, and likewise pronounces it ; but if he 
should be unable to pronounce it after he has 
read the letters, the teacher should tell him 
how to do it, and then put out a word to the 
next scholar, and so on through the lesson. 
In this way the scholar will learn the words 
as a whole by hearing them pronounced, 
and their distinctive features by reading the 
letters, and also learn to spell very rapidly, as 
he first has the word pronounced for him 
while attentively beholding it ; he reads and 
pronounces it, making an impression on his 
memory, both through the medium of sight 
and hearing, whereas, if his book were closed, 
his memory could only be impressed through 
the medium of hearing alone. But now, 
having the sense of hearing and seeing 
united, the sense of seeing being the most 
perfect, his mind must be more than two fold 
more deeply impressed, and consequently he 
learns to spell more than twice as fast as he can 
learn to spell with his book closed. But this 
is not all. A class exercised on this principle 
goes over three or four times more words in 
the same time than they would if their books 
were closed, consequently, in the aggregate, 
they would learn to spell about ten times 
faster, besides learning to read ; whereas, in 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 83 

the other case, it is clear they do not learn 
to read at all, that is when they have their 
books closed, 

" If any spark of life be yet remaining." 

With the patience of the reader, I will give 
this old sytem another thrust, for I know well 
with what tenacity this old, long cherished 
error clings to life. In the direct method a 
teacher can take a class through more spelling 
matter in twenty minutes than he can on the 
guessing system in an hour — no, this is a 
mistake, for in the guessing system, they 
seldom, if ever get through regularly — for 
in that a teacher never can tell whether he is 
ever going to get through regularly or not. 
But in the direct system he can calculate to a 
minute the time it will need to take a class 
through a page of spellings, thus making his 
school exercises regular, which is a great gain 
to any teacher or school. But the guessing 
system throws everything into confusion and 
darkness, compelling the teacher to give out 
lessons so small, in order to dispatch them 
properly, that he cannot advance but very 
slowly in the book, and seldom goes through 
a large spelling-book in a term, and as it is 
customary to begin the book anew at the 



84 THE TKUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

commencement of each term, it is seldom a 
school is taken through the book. But when 
a teacher does give large lessons in order 
to get his school through the book he 
never goes through the lessons regularly, and 
never calls near all the words in the lesson, 
but goes on a while, taking the words in 
order till he sees he is not going to get 
through in that way, when he begins to skip 
half, and finally two-thirds of the words ; and 
at last, having consumed all the time, he 
abandons the lesson altogether. Thus it is a 
great amount of words in our spelling-books 
are never brought before the school. 

Again, this spelling words wrong in the 
hearing of the school has a very pernicious 
effect upon the school in general. For hear- 
ing them spelt so many different ways dis- 
tracts their minds, and prevents them from 
remembering the right way of spelling them. 
Where words are very generally read and 
spelt correctly, it has a good effect on the 
school. I can give living and overwhelming 
testimony on this subject. I have a school 
now in my mind which learned to spell on 
the direct system and never closed their 
books, but a very little in the school — scho- 
lars I will pit against the world for spelling ; 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 85 

this, as far as our town is concerned, has been 
actually tested. But to the astonishment and 
confusion of those sticklers for shutting up 
the spelling-book, a class of little girls and 
boys trained on this principle, spelled down 
five schools and their teachers with the 
greatest ease, which gave a lasting rebuke to 
this class of educators in our town. Now, 
the theory and practice are alike honored. 
Again, by closing the book many learn to 
spell, although at this slow guessing rate 
much better than they can read. I know 
many of this class. I have no doubt but there 
are many thousands of scholars in this con- 
dition, and may live and die in it, unless the 
direct system should save some of them. I will 
mention one case of this kind, who is rather 
the best specimen of the kind I ever knew. 
He is eighteen or nineteen years old ; he has 
been to school winters for eight or ten years 
past ; he is of sound mind, but the school he 
attended never read spelling lessons. He 
read words as a whole in our little readers, 
saying them after the teacher, and hearing 
them read by the scholars till he can repeat 
a considerable number of these interesting 
little stories ; he also can spell very well in the 
Elementary spelling-book, but he cannot read 
8 



86 THE TBUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

and pronounce scarcely any of the words in 
the book, nor read the most simple sentence 
correctly from a knowledge of the words. 
He is a foreigner, but speaks the English 
language very well ; he had no one at home 
to show him, and he is a perfect specimen of 
what our schools would do undisturbed by 
other influences. His parents are wealthy, 
and put unwavering confidence in our 
schools, especially this one, as it was kept by 
one of their own countrymen. What must 
be their feelings to see their son, thus nearly 
grown up to manhood and not able to read, 
and all through the inefficiency of our schools, 
and by the indirect method of instruction 
which they pursue? "What more could this 
young man do to learn to read than he did, 
blindfolded and handcuffed as he was ? Did 
he not learn the stories they repeated to him, 
and spell the words as they dictated them to 
him ? Most certainly he did. The fact is, that 
spelling in this manner is nothing more than 
a test of what we do know, and when a 
scholar is not sufficiently acquainted with a 
word to spell it understandingly, he had 
much better look and read it than to have his 
teacher tell him how to spell words, which in 
many cases, he is unable even to read or pro- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 87 

nounce in a reading lesson. But admitting 
he did understand them, and even know how 
to read and pronounce them, if he should 
look at them again in a book it would be per- 
fecting his acquaintance with them, and he 
would be more likely to call them correctly 
on any occasion for having frequently seen 
them and read them many times. But ano- 
ther advantage is when they learn in the 
direct manner they learn the words as a 
whole by sight, and in their elementary parts, 
so that they are the better prepared to speak 
them understandingly and readily in a read- 
ing lesson. Let me give another case calcu- 
lated to throw some light on this subject, 
showing the absurdity of the former and pre- 
sent practice of requiring young beginners to 
study spelling and reading lessons. 

There is a man whom I have been inti- 
mately acquainted with for more than fifty 
years who was sent to school two weeks when 
he was five years old, where he learned his 
letters perfectly, and to read the ab's and 
words of three letters contained in the first 
lessons of the old easy standard spelling-book, 
such as Bay, Cay, etc., for which he received 
a great deal of praise from his teacher and 
parents. After this he was sent to school one 



88 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

winter and one summer term some distance 
from home to a celebrated teacher, one old 
Doctor Allen, I think; he was a fine man, 
every way, and a good teacher in a qualified 
sense. Here this scholar sometimes read 
alone, and sometimes in a small class, taking 
lessons to study and spell in the above-named 
spelling-book, beginning with words of four 
letters, such as Bind, Find, etc. During the 
winter term he got through the first lessons 
of words of four and five letters, and got to 
the Baker table and read a column or two 
in that table. During the summer term he 
advanced as far as the Crucifix table. In all, 
(luring the winter and summer terms, less 
than eight pages, containing in all one thou- 
sand and thirty-nine words. I cannot tell 
how many weeks each term contained, but at 
least from twelve to sixteen, making his 
attendance, in any case, at least six months. 
I can assure the reader it seemed much longer 
to him. And what did this little boy learn 
all this long time ? Why, the nearest thing 
possible to nothing at all. 'Tis true, he had 
learned to spell every word he had gone over, 
for the good old doctor would not have let 
him passed a word which he could not spell 
for a world, But although he could spell the 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 89 

words in the book thus far I am sure he could 
not read them as well as he could spell them, 
and was quite unable to pronounce them at 
sight in a reading-book. He took from four 
to six words to a lesson, seldom read the 
lesson to his teacher, was supposed by the 
teacher to be able to read them sufficiently to 
study them to advantage, because his teacher 
required him to do so ; this, however, was not 
the fact in his case, and is not the fact as far 
as any other beginner is concerned, that ever 
was or ever will be. And hence the impor- 
tance of the direct system to each and every 
one that has yet to learn to read, and to those 
who have children to be taught to read. I 
am well assured, from the experience I have 
had in it that its importance is beyond 
all computation, and teachers who may here- 
after adopt it will see advantages emanating 
from it that at first quite escaped their obser- 
vation . Kind reader, pardon me for this digres- 
sion. Did tins little boy study his lessons ? 
I think I am a good witness in this case, and 
I must say he did not, but very little indeed, 
nearly the smallest amount imaginable that 
amounted to anything to his advantage; he 
made a show of study, and did the best he 
could, but could call no word right unless it 
8* 



00 THE TEXJE PHILOSOPHY OF 

was by accident; did not know when lie 
called it right or wrong ; knew he could not 
study, but tried to please his teacher ; sat on 
a slab bench seven months, that was so high 
he could not touch the floor with his feet by 
several inches ; swung his feet a good deal to 
keep his back from aching and his knees 
from becoming stiff ; held a spelling-book in 
his hand during school hours; wore out a 
spelling-book each term, so that it fell to 
pieces mainly by holding it in his sweaty 
hands ; lost all his courage for learning ; 
felt friendly to the old doctor; should have 
run away from school had he not been so 
very kind to him ; thought he could never 
learn the book through ; became so averse to 
going to school, and circumstances withal 
being unfavorable, that he did not attend but 
very little after that ; went to farming for a 
livelihood ; had a great desire for an educa- 
tion as he became grown up to manhood; 
had little confidence in schools ; learned 
many things taught in school, at home. 

So we see the effect of the indirect system 
of instruction was not good in this instance, 
for it was the means of turning the mind of 
this little boy, for the whole period of his 
youth, from schools, and thus virtually shut- 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 91 

ting liirn out for life from the joys of a refined 
education. You may say that our schools are 
better now, but I think they are not. I have 
travelled considerably several years past, 
visiting schools. I have no time to go into 
any statistical accounts of them here. They 
can be seen and should be read by all men. 
Children seldom learn their letters and abs in 
less than six months, in our schools quite often 
they are a year in learning them. In New 
York there are thousands that are reading 
very poorly in Sanders' Second Eeader, from 
eight to twelve years old. I heard a large num- 
ber of scholars of this last kind mentioned? 
read in Sanders' Second Header in one of those 
schools where the head teacher is paid by the 
board of education but little less than two 
thousand dollars a year. It is said to be 
one of the very best schools in the city, and I 
believe it should have that reputation. I 
asked its able principal how long it took to 
advance boys as forward in reading as those 
who were reading before us (which was a 
large class in Sanders' Second Eeader). He 
said he thought it generally took from two to 
two and a half years' steady time. What 
need had I of looking further? this teacher's 
opinion was, in New York, considered the 



02 



THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 



very highest authority. Who can imagine 
my feelings while sitting and hearing this 
class read for three quarters of an hour % I 
knew to a certainty that the direct system, 
beyond any doubt, would have taught them to 
read much better in less than one fourth of 
the time. 

But, says one, this putting out words to scho - 
lars, and their reading them on the book, seem 
like children's play to me. All the better for 
being children's play, if we can succeed as 
well ; we need a system that is just as com- 
mon and simple as the air we breathe. Allow 
me to answer this objection by saying I 
have, from a very early age, been engaged 
in farming, notwithstanding I have kept school 
considerably. I have ever had a farm to take 
care of. I have broke or trained many a yoke 
of young steers, and many a colt to work. The 
way I did it, I used to contrive to get the 
yoke on the steers, and then hitch the old 
oxen on before them, and so start ahead. To 
be sure they went quite wild at first, but every 
day's practice made them better, and they had 
the old cattle to look to for an example, and 
finding they took it all very quietly, they soon 
became as orderly and as well-trained workers 
as the old oxen. 






TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 93 

In breaking colts, after bitting them, I put 
them in by the side of a strong, steady horso^ 
and as in the case of the oxen, we went ahead. 
I expected a colt to take some unnecessary 
steps, and sometimes to exert himself a little 
too much, and sometimes not quite enough, 
perhaps, but having the example of a kind, 
gentle horse, and by prudence in driving him, 
he very soon became a good, manageable 
work-horse. In each case there was nothing 
required of them but what they would easily 
perform, and so they soon learned to work. 
But, supposing we had, after yoking up the 
steers, hitched them to a rock that it was 
impossible for them to move, and kept them 
chained up there six months, or a year, urging 
them forward by persuasion and force, would 
they not, for all working purposes, in all pro- 
bability, be ruined for life? Why, most cer- 
tainly they would. And so in like manner, if 
we had hitched the colt to a stump, and coax- 
ed and urged him to draw it out, would it not 
have proved his ruin ? Yes, beyond any doubt 
whatever ; and in case he had been balked in 
this manner, a few minutes at the commence- 
ment of his learning work, it might have de- 
preciated his value one-half or three-fourths, 



94: THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

and rendered him an outcast, and a fit subject 
for horse-jockeys for life. 

Then why not use as much good common 
sense in educating our children, as in breaking 
steers and colts. It is true it may look like 
our children's play to you, and so may it look 
like children's play to you to see old Farmer 
Steady, with his boys and hired men, parading 
the streets with a yoke of oxen and steers 
drawing an empty sled, or training around 
with his old John horse, and brown colt, draw- 
ing an empty sleigh, with a lot of wide-awake 
boys sometimes running on foot, and some- 
times riding. But an old experienced eye can 
see in both of these a principle that will work 
the best results for the education of the young, 
as well as for training animals for the use of 
man. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 95 



EXERCISES APPLICABLE 

TO THB 

SECOND CLASS OF WORD READERS. 

First, let the teacher put out the words 
to the class, each scholar having his book 
open and his eye attentively on the word, 
and each reading in rotation distinctly, and 
yet with all possible dispatch; let them 
read part of their lesson in this manner. 
Second, should it be an easy lesson, or should 
some easy words occur in the lesson, then 
let these be pronounced in concert, or let 
them pronounce one, two, or three words 
apiece in rotation, speaking their words with 
deliberation and with quantity. Pronouncing 
words is a short way of studying them. No 
one can pronounce words correctly, unless by 
imitation or theory. To do it theoretically he 
must know how many syllables there are in a 
word, and know which the accented syllable 
is, and also, what the vowel sound is contained 
in that syllable; scholars may learn to pro- 
nounce correctly by imitation, but it is impor- 



&6 THE TRUE PHILOSOrHY OF 

tant that they should learn to do this from 
theory, which can very easily be done in a 
well classified spelling-book, as I shall show in 
the third class exercises. Third, when the 
words are long and difficult to spell, pronounce 
them to the class, and let the class read them in 
concert, reading slow, and the teacher marking 
time for them with a pencil on a slate, or other- 
wise. The teacher should give each one time 
to read his syllable before he gives the signal 
for reading the next syllable. I think this is 
the fastest way of any to teach a class to read 
and spell ; it takes more time to read a lesson in 
this way, but its effect is tremendous, making 
a deep and lasting impression on the mind. 

I would advise teachers to practise it con- 
siderably, especially those that are so far ad- 
vanced as to generally read the words cor- 
rectly; but supposing some one should be 
unable to read his word right, if he is atten- 
tive he will hear numerous voices, before 
him and behind him, and on every side of 
him, distinct and clear, telling him every let- 
ter and syllable, and how to pronounce it 
when read. But a class of any size, even con- 
taining one or two hundred, could not endure 
the labor that one teacher could impose on 
them in this exercise, and consequently, ho 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 97 

would have to vary tlie exercise to save the 
strength of the school. 

I have found, that a class of attentive word- 
readers, after reading the spelling-book through 
a few times, know how to spell better than 
those that have been to school on the old in- 
direct system several years, and when they 
had thus read the book through, there is very 
little comparatively left for them to study. 

Teachers should exercise this class daily in 
learning the vowel and diphthongal sounds. 
This can generally be done to the best advan- 
tage in country district schools, in the third 
class, which is composed of the whole school, 
being divisions No. 1, 2, and 3, for which full 
directions will be given. Schools composed 
entirely of word readers will follow the direc- 
tions there given, to learn the vowel and diph- 
thongal sounds. 



98 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 



EXERCISES FOR THIRD CLASS 

COMPOSED OF 

SPELLERS AND WORD READERS. 

It should be borne in mind, that divisions 
No. 1 and 2 of this class should have their 
own appropriate exercises apart from the 
class, and their position in the class should 
be such as not to be in the way of division 
number third ; for this there is no difficulty if 
the teacher rightly adapts the exercises, and 
enforces attention and promptness on the part 
of each scholar. The teacher will put out 
words to the whole class, the third division 
spelling with their books closed, and keying 
the words. The second division reading the 
word on the book, and keying it in like man- 
ner. The first division only reading their 
words after they are pronounced by the 
teacher ; the second and third divisions key- 
ing the words of the first division in concert. 
This is an important exercise, and should be 
had in school daily. This exercise, however, 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 99 

cannot be had unless the class have a well 
classified spelling-book. I never have found 
one equal in all respects to Cobb's. It is true, 
I should have liked it a little better if it had 
been conformed to Webster's orthography and 
pronunciation, but I have found that scholars 
who get Cobb's speller thoroughly, are per- 
fectly able to thelp themselves to Webster's 
pronunciation, so that it is not so very impor- 
tant which system they learn first, for if they 
understand the theory of one system, they can, 
with the least effort of their own, learn all 
others ; and so, on the whole, I deem it rather 
an advantage to the scholar to learn Walker's 
first. 

The importance of learning the vowel and 
diphthongal sounds is very great, and no prac- 
tice or system ever had has given the great 
mass of our schools a knowledge of them ; but 
the method of learning them here laid down, 
will make them understood by all who go to 
school, so that if they know anything about 
reading, they will understand all about the 
vowel sounds ; and when they have attained 
to this, they will not stop here with their in- 
quiries, but will become acquainted with the 
elementary sounds of the English language 
generally. 



100 THE TETJE PHILOSOPHY OF 

Children should learn the elementary sounds 
while in the second and third divisions. The 
first division, however, frequently know con- 
siderable about them. Teachers should be 
constant in keeping the subject before the 
school in a great variety of exercises. First, 
in the manner above stated. Second, by hav- 
ing them spell or read the words of their 
lesson by speaking the vowel sounds and not 
the name of the letter. Third, by reading or 
spelling the words by the sounds of the letters, 
and not by the names of the letters. Fourth, 
by having the school pronounce the vowel 
sounds of the accented syllables contained 
in the words in concert, after the teacher pro- 
nounces the word to the class. Fifth, let 
each scholar in rotation pronounce the vowel 
element alone, the teacher putting out the 
words as before. Sixth, let the whole class 
read in concert in slow time, the teacher keep- 
ing the time of the syllables* with a pencil 
on a slate, and the class after reading and 
pronouncing the word, speak the vowel ele- 
ment in concert. Seventh, read and pro- 
nounce the same as before, and let the scho- 

* The class will be able to keep the time properly after a 
little practice without this aid from the teacher. 




TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 101 

lars in the class take turns in speaking the 
vowel elements. Eighth, let each scholar in 
the second and third divisions read and key a 
word. Ninth, let the whole class pronounce 
in concert, speaking slowly and scarcely above 
a whisper, prolonging the sound as much as 
possible. Tenth, let the whole class pro- 
nounce in concert in slow time, speaking with 
much quantity, and keying the words in con- 
cert. Eleventh, let the class read in quick 
time, not marking the time of the syllables. 
Occasionally let them read and key the words 
in concert in quick time. The class should 
never take less than a page of spelling matter 
for a lesson. All the above exercises should be 
had every day ; some of the most important 
should occupy the most time, others but a 
small portion. Teachers will be able to dis- 
criminate according to circumstances ; they 
should never leave out the exercise of keying 
words, that is, it should be had in every 
lesson to a considerable extent; it does not 
take up much time. Scholars should be re- 
quired to study spelling lessons after they can 
do so understandingly, never before in any 
case whatever. This, however, in this mode 
of instruction, they will be able to do in a 
little time. In addition to the above exer» 



102 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

cises, the teacher should exercise the class 
once a day in the elementary sounds of the 
letters — of course he would take but a few of 
them for each lesson ; he might spend two or 
three minutes at the close of each spelling 
exercise, beginning with the vowel and diph- 
thongal sounds (tonics vocals) as they are the 
most important ; after which he should pro- 
ceed to the consonant sounds, subtonics, and 
atonies. Here let the teacher not compel 
the class to commit to memory the definitions 
of the elementary sounds of the letters no 
faster than he shows the class their practical 
use. Beginning with the key, let the teacher 
ask the class what a vowel is; they should 
read from the book the general definition. 
Then let the teacher explain their nature and 
use, something like the following : That the 
accented syllable in a word is the governing 
syllable ; that the accented syllable contains a 
vowel, the sound of which gives character to 
the word; that the vowels have different 
sounds, in different words, which different 
sounds are indicated by figures placed over 
the words in the spelling columns and also 
over standard words to aid us the better to 
understand them. 

That No. 1 represents the long sound of a y 



TEACHING THE YOtfNG TO READ. 103 

e, i, o, u, w, and y, as in fate, me, pine, no, 
tube, dew, fly. 

No. 2. The flat sound of a, as in far. 

No. 3. The long broad a and o, as in fall, 
nor. 

No. 4. The short sound of a, e, i, u, and y, 
as in fat, met, pin, tub, system. 

No. 5. The short broad a and o, as in not, 
what. 

No. 6. The sound of oo, proper or slender, 
as in to, rule, crew. 

No. 7. The sound of short oo, or obtuse u, 
as in good, bull. 

No. 8. Short u, made by e, i, and o, as in 
her, stir, dove. 

No. 9. The sound of long a, made by e, as 
in they. 

No. 10. The sound of long e, made by i, as 
in shire. 

No. 11. The sound of short e, made by i, as 
in flrm. 

After explaining the key to them, let them 
read the answers to questions on each num- 
ber. Also let them answer the questions on 
the diphthongs. When they understand these 
perfectly, then let them begin with the conso- 
nants and the sounds of the compound char- 
acters and combination of letters. If the 



104 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

attention of the class is called to these during 
the spelling exercises the class will soon be- 
come acquainted with the elementary sounds 
at an age when they will be able to retain 
them in their memories, and get a practical 
use of them while going to school, so that 
they will fully appreciate them in after life. 



FIRST READING CLASS. 

This class having had a proper training in 
the spelling book, will be able to begin 
Town's Second or Third Header, or readers of 
like character for their first reading-book in 
school. I should prefer to have them read 
the spelling-book till they can begin with our 
third readers to good advantage. If teachers 
do begin with smaller reading-books they will 
not advance them as fast by so doing. 

Let the teacher teach the class the pauses 
and marks used in writing or printing, by at 
first telling them the names of those charac- 
ters. Then let the one at the head of the class 
read, and when he comes to the pause let him 
stop, while the rest of the class name the 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO HEAD. 105 

pause. If it is a comma, let them say comma ; 
if a period, let them say period, etc., the 
teacher telling them whenever they call the 
character wrong. When they have learned 
the names of all the characters in this man- 
ner, let them count the time of the pauses 
when they come to them, reading in like 
manner. Thus, when one scholar is reading, 
the rest of the class will count the time of the 
pauses, the reader pausing till the class counts 
the time distinctly in concert, by saying one, 
for a comma, one, two, for a semicolon, etc. 
Let the teacher see that every one in the 
class labors constantly with fixed attention in 
this exercise, as it is very important for 
scholars when they first begin to read, to be 
acquainted with the pauses, and use them 
practically in their first reading lessons. 
Second, let each scholar read to a pause and 
name it. Third, let each scholar read to a 
pause and count its time. Fourth, let each 
scholar read a word apiece, naming the 
pauses in connection therewith, as they occur 
in the sentences. Fifth, let each scholar read 
a syllable apiece, naming the pauses as be- 
fore. Sixth, let the class read round, reading 
the words in the same manner they do spell- 
ing lessons. Seventh, the teacher should fie- 



106 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OP 

quently read to his class and have them name 
the pauses for him, and count their time. It 
is important to keep the attention of the class 
fixed on the words while being read. Scho- 
lars generally see but little that is read in 
their class more than to enable them to keep 
their places. Sometimes, indeed, they will 
count down to their verse, as they call it, and 
study it for the time being with wonderful 
energy and attention, bo as to read it well 
when it comes to their turn. This is a great 
damage to the scholar who practises it, for he 
virtually sees but a very small part of his 
lesson. 

Again, when a class has any fixed custom 
to read round a certain number of times, 
much evil may grow out of it ; many pupils 
will be very inattentive after they have read 
for the last time, and where one shows inat- 
tention it is apt to extend through the class. 
A teacher should take no such formal method 
of reading, but should let his class know 
they are to be directed by him just according 
as he shall dictate to them for the time be- 
ing. Hence he should say, "read a verse 
apiece," the class counting the time. But if 
he sees during the process gross inattention, 
he should say, " read a word apiece, and 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 107 

speak the pauses in connection," or, " read a 
syllable apiece, naming the pauses as they 
occur," or take any of the above exercises 
which they most need. In this way the class 
will be compelled to see every part of their 
lesson which will early discipline them to 
habits of close attention. 



SECOND READING CLASS. 

This should consist of the most advanced 
scholars in school. 'None should belong to 
this class unless they are well versed in the 
elementary sounds of the language, for I should 
consider it impossible to make them good 
readers or speakers if they were ignorant of 
these. Exercises in articulation, usually intro- 
duced into our school readers, are but little 
understood, and are generally passed over 
with little interest ; they are manifestly in the 
wrong place, and unless scholars learn articu- 
lation elsewhere, they will be very likely to 
remain ignorant of it. But scholars taught in 
the direct method will highly appreciate these, 
having learned articulation elsewhere, they 



108 THE TKTJE PHILOSOPHY OP 

will be pleased with it here, as an exer- 
cise. 

But the idea of learning scholars generally 
the elementary sounds of the English lan- 
guage from these exercises alone, is not practi- 
cal, any more than the idea of teaching schools 
the elements from black-board or normal- 
chart exercises is practical. You cannot make 
it general enough in one sense, and in another 
you cannot make it particular enough. The 
whole school may respond and seem to know 
all about it, but when you come to test each 
one alone, he hesitates, and you will find but 
few who understand enough about it to do 
them any good. But in the direct system we 
have to pass over some thirteen thousand 
words (and when we have a spelling-book of 
twenty thousand words, it will be better still), 
so classified as to keep our minds constantly 
exercised on the subject — every scholar being 
easily tested, and having the subject plainly 
illustrated to him in so many thousand words, 
the knowledge of the elementary sounds be- 
comes as familiar to him as his a b c, and he 
can appreciate these exercises, although he 
does not necessarily need them there. But to 
think of teaching our schools from these exer- 
cises alone is not practical. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 109 

The elocutionary instructions contained in 
most of our elocutionary works I most cheer- 
fully indorse, and always endeavor to have 
those whom I have the honor to teach to read 
avail themselves of their able instructions. 
The exercises here set fortli for the second 
reading class, are intended mostly to correct 
habits of bad articulation, and improper atten- 
tion to the pauses while reading. I have prac- 
tised them more than twenty years in my 
schools with the best success. When we had 
County Superintendents, they invariably gave 
my reading-class the preference in the county, 
and those who have visited my school have 
bestowed much praise on my reading classes 
— I speak this for the encouragement of others. 
These exercises are in part the same as those 
given for the first reading class. They should 
be practised just in proportion as the teacher 
may consider them most needed. If a class is 
not good in its observance of the pauses, let 
them count time. If they articulate hurriedly, 
let them read by syllables. If they pronounce 
incorrectly, take the reading down exercise. 
In every case taking an exercise they most 
need to correct them in any error they have 
in reading. First, reading and naming the 
pauses; Second, reading and counting the 
10 



110 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

time of the pauses ; third, reading to a pause 
and naming it ; fourth, reading to a pause, 
and counting the time ; fifth, reading a 
word apiece, and naming the pauses as they 
occur ; sixth, reading the syllables, and 
naming the pauses. Seventh — reading the 
words and keying them as in spelling columns ; 
Eighth, let the class rise up and read a sen- 
tence, or more if they can ; but if a scholar 
repeats a word or syllable, or utters any word 
improperly, or does not read it as it is 
pronounced in our dictionaries, or makes im- 
proper pauses or inflections, etc., let him sit 
down, and the next begin where he left off, 
and proceed in the same manner, and so on 
through the class, and perhaps several times 
round, those who lost the honor of stand- 
ing up, reading in their turn as the rest of the 
class. 

This is an exercise that scholars like to en- 
gage in, and from an experience or practice 
in it of many years, I am confirmed in believ- 
ing it a very important one. It begets a sort 
of self-discipline not to be obtained in any 
other way. It greatly helps a scholar to pos- 
sess himself in trying emergencies, and pro- 
motes a confidence in himself of what he can 
do if he but wills it. At first, let a class read 






TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. Ill 

short sentences on this principle, and when 
they have become more advanced, let them 
read longer sentences, and finally, as long as 
they can read without a mistake. Again, this 
class should read in concert, and having been 
drilled thoroughly in articulation and the 
pauses, they can do so with very great beauty 
and effect. If they had not this elemen- 
tary training, they would be totally unable to 
perform it ; but having this, they can do 
it with propriety and pleasure. Occasionally 
let the class read dialogues, in concert, divid- 
ing the class into as many parts as the piece 
selected contains. Again, let them read two 
pieces in concert, that have much contrast to 
each other — such as Byron's Address to the 
Ocean, and Speech of Henry Y. to his troops 
before the gates of Harfleur. This will teach 
them to change the key from the middle to a 
very high key, and from slow time and long 
quantity, to a loud and quick rate of utterance, 
or otherwise, as the pieces selected may indi- 
cate. Again, let all your school that read in 
readings, each select a piece once a week, and 
read it before the school. Teachers should aid 
their scholars somewhat in their selections, 
book the pieces chosen, and endeavor to 
have each scholar understand the nature of 



112 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

his piece, and be prepared to read it with 
as much propriety as possible; this will 
greatly encourage scholars, and help them to 
become good readers and speakers with great 
rapidity. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 113 



GENERAL REMARKS AND CRITICISMS. 

" Truth would you teach to save the sinking land, 
All shun, none aid you, and few understand." 

The faculties of the human mind most 
prominently put forth in childhood, seem riot 
to be well understood. Educators take it for 
granted that that of reason is the one most to 
be relied upon in educating the young. This is 
a serious mistake; the faculty of reasoning 
being little used comparatively in childhood, 
and belonging more especially to that period 
of life called manhood. Children to the age of 
ten years, as a general rule, take things on 
trust. At this stage of life the faculties of 
observation, imitation and memory are strong, 
and may be said to be in their greatest perfec- 
tion. Imitation at this period of life is the 
ruling genius of the mind, enabling it to 
speak and act whatever it hears or sees, while 
memory makes a faithful record which will 
remain as long as life endures. Hence, this 
is the time to tell children something. 

1A* 



114 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

" Take nature's path and mad opinions leave, 
All states can reach it, and all heads conceive." 

This is the fit time to teach them written aa 
well as oral language. This may be done in 
the direct method almost spontaneously when 
compared with former modes of instruction. 

" Our needful knowledge, like our needful food, 
Unhedged, lies open in life's common field, 
And bids all welcome to the vital feast." 

The order of God's providence to man con- 
sists in the greatest and most needful bless- 
ings being the most easily obtained. Hence, 
it is unreasonable to believe that there is no 
way to teach spelling and reading in a much 
less expensive way, and a less tedious manner 
than that now in use. 

But what can be said to arouse the world 
from its slumber on this important theme ? It 
would seem that nothing less than the voice 
of God as uttered on Mount Sinai would 
arrest attention on this subject. The stu- 
pidity of those who give direction in educa- 
tional matters is beyond all belief — even 
greater than that related of our fathers in 
olden time, who, when they went to mill on 
horse-baek did not know how to divide the 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 115 

grist in the sack to make it balance on the 
animal's back, by putting one half in each 
end of the bag, but put the grist in one end, 
and an equal amount of cobble stones in the 
the other to keep it down. 

Thus, men who have stood at the head of 
educational matters, as far as spelling and 
reading are concerned, have always been 
driving their wedge butt end foremost, and 
quite recently one has arose who insists on 
driving the wedge butt end and tip end at the 
same time. To make the absurdity of those 
systems commonly set forth by educators to 
be practised by teachers more apparent to 
all, I will here instance a few of them which 
I wish every parent and teacher to carefully 
examine by the light of truth and common 
sense, believing their fallacy to be such that 
the most superficial cannot avoid seeing their 
impropriety, and thus avoid them as the 
mariner would those reefs on which others 
have foundered and lost their all. Their 
name is legion, but we will notice but a few 
of the most prominent, leaving the reader 
mainly to make his own criticisms, hoping 
that justice may be done to all concerned in 
the spirit of friendship. 

The State Convention of county and town 



116 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

Superintendents which met at Syracuse, April 
22, 1845, speaks as follows : 

" It is believed that the spelling-book is 
often introduced too early in the course, and 
relied upon too exclusively. It is recom- 
mended that at least two elementary reading 
looks be mastered by the pupil before the 
spelling-booJc is placed in his hands, and that 
the lessons, instead of being studied from the 
book by the eye alone, be written upon slates, 
care being taken to preserve a perpendicular 
margin and horizontal lines. Spelling exer- 
cises may be profitably conducted as follows : 

Suppose the school to be unused to the ex- 
ercise, and many in the class unable to write 
with facility, from two to four weeks may be 
devoted to writing the lessons, in the place of 
studying them in the usual manner, and during 
this time spelling may be conducted without 
slates. This preliminary training will gene- 
rally prepare the class to write readily, and 
slates should now be used in spelling. The 
teacher pronounces the words, and all write 
them simultaneously until the lesson is gone 
through with. The slates are then changed, 
the teacher taking a slate from the right, 
passes it to the left of the class, while the 
pupils pass their slates to the right. This is 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 117 

done as quickly as the teacher can pass from 
one side of the class to the other. Each 
pupil has now the slate, and observes the 
work of his neighbor. The teacher reads 
each word, and as errors are seen, hands are 
raised and corrections made by those who 
committed the error. This is one method. 
Various others not differing materially from 
this, have been successfully practised. This 
practice of the schools corresponds with that 
of society, and the pupil that is thus habitu- 
ated to write his words at school will find no 
difficulty in writing them elsewhere." 

"Webb's Normal Keader, No. 1, page 7, 
says, "The child in this part is not to be 
taught a letter or to spell a word, but is simply 
to learn the words by their forms, the same as 
he learns the names of animals by looking at 
them as a whole, as an animal, associating 
the name with its form." 

Again, on page 8, note b: "We teach 
nothing but words and reading at first, leav- 
ing the letters and spelling till the 6th lesson, 
when it is believed the child will understand 
the object and nature of reading, and be pre- 
pared to commence the alphabet understand- 
ingly." 

And again, on the 19th and 20th pages : 



118 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 



" Note. — The teacher may now pursue either 
of the -following ways or any combination of 
them as may be thought best, though we give 
a decided preference to the fourth, or phonic 
method. 

" 1. The word method, heretofore used may 
be continued, the words being taught from 
Col. 3. 

" 2. The words may be taught from Col. 3, 
spelled and letters learned from Cols. 2 and 1, 
as per note a to Directions for Teaching. 

" 3. The letters may be taught first from 
Col. 1 put together, or spelled as in Col. 2, 
and pronounced as in Col. 3. The spelling 
may be done in two ways — first, in the ordi- 
nary way, calling each letter by name ; or 
second, by uniting the last two letters, as a-n, 
making an ; then using this combination as 
one character with the letter preceding it, 
thus m-an, man. Of course these words as 
soon as learned will be read in connection 
with other words, as in the reading lesson fol- 
lowing. 

"4. Phonic Method. — The words may be 
taught by the sounds of their letters. First, 
teach the sound of a, then n (being careful if 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 119 

there is a figure over a letter to teach that 
sound of the letter which this figure represents 
in our Table of Elements) ; require the pupil 
to utter these sounds in quick succession, as 
represented in Col. 2, till the combination 
in Col. 3 is distinctly given. Next, the 
sound of m should be taught and given in 
connection with the combination in Col. 3 
as represented in Col. 2, till the perfect word 
in Col. 3 is heard. This word should now 
be read in the reading lesson below. When 
the next word, fan, is wanted, it can be had 
by simply teaching the letter f As fast as 
new words are wanted they should be taught, 
and no faster. A similar course should be 
continued through Part Second, when the 
alphabet (except q and z) is learned, its use, 
and the use of words. If the teacher prefers, 
the names of the letters can be taught in con- 
nection with their sounds." 

" Sargent's Standard Primer," second page, 
says: 

" In this work the child's oral familiarity 
with certain words is made the basis of in- 
struction in reading. Begin with teaching 
him words to which he attaches a meaning 
and not with letters to which he attaches 
none. The analytical process of spelling 



120 



THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 



should be subsequent to bis acquaintance 
with the printed form of the word to be ana- 
lyzed. It will be time enough to teach him 
the alphabet after he has learnt to read, and 
when you wish him to spell." 

"Sargent's Standard First Keader," page 
third : 

" It is now generally admitted that the 
sounds of the letters are best taught by show- 
ing their powers in words, as in so many in- 
stances their names do not correspond to their 
powers. The resolution of these words into 
letters of the alphabet is an analytical process 
which, in the order of things, should be subse- 
quent to a knowledge of the words them- 
selves." 

Pages fourth and fifth : 

" Most children learn the alphabet at home 
before going to school, but whether the child 
be familiar with it or not, let him begin 
his school labors with words and ideas instead 
of meaningless letters and syllables. The 
process here recommended is this : Begin with 
teaching the child to recognize and pronounce 
a few well-known words, such as are placed 
in large type in the first half of this volume. 
Let the words of lesson first be first selected. 
Pronounce a word without spelling it, while 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 121 

pointing it out, and cause the children to pro- 
nounce it after you. 

" Make the word as interesting as possible, 
by explanation, or by quoting instances of its 
daily use. Do not at first task the memory 
too much, but be content with very humble 
beginnings. If the whole lesson cannot be 
learned at the first trial, let half of it, or a 
single word suffice. After the words are 
learned let the sentence in which they are 
introduced be read, and to be sure that the 
sense of the sentence is not the learner's 
guide to the words, let him read it back- 
wards after he has read it forwards. As in 
the succeeding lessons of Section first, only 
new words that have not appeard in previous 
lessons, are given in large type. Let the 
words of one lesson be learned thoroughly be- 
fore leaving it for another, and let them be 
often reviewed as the child advances in the 
order laid down. 

" While this simple process of learning to 
read is going on, put a pencil or piece of 
chalk into the child's hand, and let him begin 
to copy, however rudely, the forms of letters 
and entire words. He may thus make some 
progress in learning to spell before he knows 
the alphabetical names of letters, and indeed, 
11 



122 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

this is the best and shortest process for acquis 
ing a knowledge of spelling, which may 
always be attained more accurately by sight 
than by sound. 

" It is not till he enters upon section second 
that the learner is introduced to the analy- 
tical process of spelling. And here it is re- 
commended that he be taught to decompose 
words into their elementary sounds before 
giving the alphabetical names of the letters. 
Let the word be pronounced before and not 
after it is spelled. Let the letters be pro- 
nounced as nearly as possible with the sounds 
they possess in combination. In communi- 
cating the 23d lesson, let the letter o be writ- 
ten on the black-board. The sound of it is 
then given by the teacher, and the children 
repeat it after him either individually or 
simultaneously. The first consonant is then 
written — the teacher gives its true sound or 
power, and the children then do the same. 
The consonant and the vowel are then sounded 
and the word is pronounced. The remaining 
words are then treated in a similar manner. 
Each child should be furnished with a slate 
and pencil and be made to copy as well as he 
can the letters and words that may constitute 
the lesson for the day. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 123 

"After the pronunciation of the words, 
and of their elementary sounds, has been 
thoroughly learned, the children may be re- 
quired to spell the words at the head of each 
lesson, by giving the alphabetical names of 
the letters. But this process may be better 
reserved till the child is somewhat advanced. 
It will be found a good exercise for the 
teacher to name a letter in a word and re- 
quire a child to give its sound in combination, 
or to give its sound in combination and re- 
quire the child to give its alphabetical name." 

Thus, the county and town superintend- 
ents would have the pupil master, at least, 
two elementary reading-books before the spell- 
ing-book is placed in his hands. He is then 
to learn to write, after which he is to write 
the spelling lessons upon his slate instead of 
studying them from the book by the eye. It 
will be observed that the pupils are to write 
their lessons at the dictation of the teacher, 
after which they are to change slates and, 
with the aid of the teacher, review the lesson. 
But I am happy in being able to infer that 
the pupils are permitted to know the names 
of the letters composing the words which they 
are required to write, which I deem a decided 
improvement on some more modern theories. 



124 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

This system, to say the least of it, would 
be a slow way to learn to spell and read, 
and whatever little child enters upon such a 
course is doomed to spend a large part of 
his earthly existence, provided he lives to 
the common age of man, in learning to read 
and spell. It is true, some may live through 
this process and may know something about 
spelling, but most of them who survive will 
need to carry a dictionary with them while 
they live. 

My heart sickens at the sight of the thou- 
sands of helpless innocents who are sacrificed 
upon this worse than heathen altar. 

Fathers, mothers, guardians of youth, will 
you not see to it, that those who are depen- 
dent upon you are saved from this ruinous, 
wasteful course of study ? Are not the health 
and precious years of youthful time nothing 
to you f Do not say that you cannot avoid 
it. The means are now within your reach. 
Then put forth your hands and labor in this 
good cause. Open your mouths and speak 
for the dumb, the helpless innocents whom 
God has given you, and placed under your 
guardian care, and your children will rise up 
and call you blessed. 

It would seem that Mr. Webb has made an 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 125 

effort to improve the preceding system or 
method of instruction above noticed. But I 
am unable to see in his system, as a whole, 
that improvement which we might have rea- 
sonably expected. He does not begin by first 
teaching the letters ; he discards the use of a 
spelling-book as such. He does not claim 
that his system advances scholars rapidly ; 
he thinks we should be content to know that 
we are advancing. 

I hope the reader will examine for himself 
the preface and notes in full in Webb's Nor- 
mal Eeaders, Nos. 1 and 2, and his series of 
Readers in full. There is much ability and 
energy manifested by the author throughout, 
superior taste in selecting and arranging the 
reading exercises, and. I have only to regret 
that the direct system was not fortunate enough 
to find as able an advocate as it might have 
done in him. But for all practical purposes 
in their widest sense, for teaching children to 
spell and read, I consider it too intellectual, 
and slow of progress to meet the wants of 
childhood. 

Where is the propriety of first teaching a 

child words as a whole, as an animal, before he 

knows the letters, or attempts to learn them ? 

Or the advantage of teaching him words by 

11* 



126 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

the sounds or powers of letters composing the 
words, while he is a stranger to the words, to 
the elementary sounds composing the words, 
and to the alphabetical names of the letters ? 

My fixed opinion is that our children, under 
such a system of instruction, would need the 
intellect of a Locke or Byron, the physical 
energies of Hercules, the patience of Job, and 
the assistance of a learned professor, in order 
to succeed at all in learning to read tous 
ensemble. 

The method for teaching the young as laid 
down by Mr. Sargent in his Standard Primer, 
and Standard First Reader, is, that the pupil 
be taught at first words as a whole and not 
unmeaning letters and syllables, teaching 
him the alphabet after he has learned to read, 
and when you wish to teach him to spell. 
The rapidity of acquirement under this sys- 
tem may be inferred from the earnest exhor- 
tation made by the author to teachers. He 
says, " Do not, at first, task the memory too 
much, but be content with very humble be- 
ginnings. If the whole lesson cannot be 
learned at the first trial, let half of it, or a 
single word suffice." And here we may 
observe, that the word-lessons, as laid down 
in the book, are very small, frequently no 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 127 

more than half a dozen words, and sometimes 
less. These are to be learned as a whole, and 
in addition to this, the pupil must learn to 
write, and write down the words of the lesson 
with a pencil, or a piece of chalk ; bnt where 
he is to make this entry is not sufficiently 
clear. He is then to be introduced to the 
analytical process of spelling, that is, to de- 
compose words into their elementary sounds, 
and all this before he is supposed to know the 
alphabetical names of the letters. After the 
pupil has thoroughly learned to pronounce or 
spell words by their elementary sounds, he 
may be allowed to learn the alphabetical 
names of the letters, and spell the words 
accordingly. But this process is recommened 
to be delayed " till the child is somewhat 
advanced." 

"Till the child is somewhat advanced." 
As much as to say, the child has not as yet 
advanced at all, or in so small a degree as not 
to be called somewhat, 

" I thank thee Jew for teaching me that 
word /" T will rest here. There is no need 
to say more. This is enough to show the 
working of the system, and that is all I wish 
to show. I think it is truly and well ex- 
pressed in little space. If any are not satis- 



128 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

fied, let them make an actual experiment, 
but I pray you do not take my little son 
or daughter for that purpose ; let them be 
excused. 

Hear it, fathers, mothers, children. All ye 
who have any interest in learning to read — ye 
who have sympathies for your fellow-men. 
From Maine to California — from Labrador to 
Alaska. A child after going through one 
book of seventy-two pages, and another to the 
eighteenth page, and that in some cases by 
taking one word for a lesson and frequently 
reviewing lessons, by reading the words back- 
wards, as well as forwards. And yet after 
all this toil and labor, are not u somewhat 
advanced." 

Thus it seems that Mr. Sargent's system of 
primary instruction is nothing more than a 
learned rehash of Mr. "Webb's, the additions 
made thereto by requiring the pupil to learn 
to write, and write his lessons before he is 
supposed to know the alphabetical names of 
the letters, making it still more difficult to 
perform. 

If this is a desirable system to be used in 
our schools, I hope it will prevail ; I only wish 
the public to have a good system ; when this 
is obtained I am content. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 129 

" Hope, like a cordial innocent, though strong, 
Man's heart at once inspirits and serenes." 

So let us hope there is a good time com- 
ing, when the capacities of the youthful mind 
will be better understood by educators than 
they are now, and when they shall be able to 
devise some method of instruction Jbetter 
suited to meet the wants of children than any 
that are now in general use, and when this 
system may be so known and perfected as to 
be a blessing to all who learn to read. For 
the sake of humanity may this good time 
come speedily. 

" The eternal law of Progress bids us On." 

At the annual meeting of the New York 
State Teachers' Association, held in the city 
of Oswego, August, 1854, it was said by 
Prof. Marcius Wilson, in a speech to that 
body, the subject being "Practical Educa- 
tion," that as yet there was no direct method 
known* to teach spelling and reading. He 
thought it would be a very important disco- 
very ; hoped, though rather despairingly, that 
such discovery would yet be made. 

* I attended that meeting for the purpose of making 
known what I conceived to be this very system, but could 
get no opportunity of doing so. 



130 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

Now, it is plain to my mincj, that the first 
step to this important discovery is a better 
knowledge of the peculiar capacity of the 
youthful mind. I think, as yet, it has not 
been well understood. When this is accom- 
plished, the discovery of a direct system of 
instruction will be rendered comparatively 
easy. 

From a practical experience of over thirty 
years in teaching children, I have learned a 
little of what really constitutes the mind of 
childhood. For many years of my first prac- 
tice, I scarcely gave the subject a thought, 
but like others around me, I endeavored to 
flatter or urge these almost helpless innocents 
up the hill of science to the utmost of my 
power, on the same principle that I would 
persons of maturer years. And even when I 
had made some useful discoveries in this direc- 
tion, I have been held back from advancing 
or adding to them as I might have done, had 
not educators and teachers, with whom I have 
conversed freely for twenty years, been so 
cold and indifferent on the subject. 

It would seem that they are in a fair way 
to continue to thrust their almost impractical 
systems of primary instruction down the 
throats of an over credulous people forever. 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 131 

The projectors of those systems could never 
cany out their own plans practically, had 
their numbers been sufficient to have supplied 
every schoolhouse in the Union. They have 
wisely left them to the patience and endu- 
rance of women, without which they would 
be totally impractical, and would, long ago, 
have fell into disuse. 

I consider that it is reasonable, that those 
who do the work should invent the modes by 
which to accomplish it. 

But as yet there has not arose a Fulton, a 
Watt, a Guttenberg, or an Arkwright among 
common school teachers, to make that improve- 
ment in their calling, that has been witnessed 
in other professions. 

I believe that the following, in a qualified 
sense, may be considered truisms respecting 
children. 

1. They are not reflective, and their rea- 
soning faculties cannot be relied upon, as the 
modus operandi in their education. 

2. They are possessed of infinite powers of 
observation and imitation, which are the most 
perfect at this period of life. 

3. They remember what they see, hear, 



132 TEACHING THE YOUNG TO BEAD. 

and do, memory being as perfeot, and in some 
respects more so than at any subsequent 
period. 

4. They are seldom wearied in talking on 
subjects that do not require extensive reflec- 
tion. 

5. They delight in talking much, provided 
they can produce the subject mainly of them- 
selves. Hence they delight to read, even 
to them, meaningless words by their letters 
and syllables, probably for the mere pleasure 
of utterance. 

6. When properly aided to so read words, 
they will be able in a short time to pronounce 
at sight, and spell words to an infinite ex- 
tent. 

7. "When able to so recognize words, they 
can read books, and thus learn the meaning 
of most words by association, provided they 
understand the vernacular language in which 
they are written. 



APPENDIX. 



In the course of a very extensive reading 
on the subject, I have not been able to find 
but a very few desultory hints that coincided 
with any idea of Direct Teaching. I shall 
here subjoin the following : 

Report of the Superintendent of Public In- 
struction of the State of New York, 1855 
(page 48). 

" Observation and reason teach that they 
(children) are not fit at so early a period (four 
years of age), for the study of books. Nearly 
all they know before they are eight years of 
age they learn from the example of superiors' 
oral instruction, and from observation and ex- 
amination of things around them." 

Sargenfs Standard Primer (page 2). 

"But do not explain over much. Eemem- 
12 



134 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

ber that a child must be taught,to take many 
things on trust, and to believe a thing is so 
because you say it is so." 

Sargent's Standard Primer (page 60). 

" A child learns to spell by the eye in read- 
ing, more than in any other way." 

Sargent's Standard First Header (jpage 3). 

" Children learn to recognize words almost 
as imperceptibly as they learn to utter sounds, 
and do not pass through much analytical rea- 
soning in the process of doing so. A little 
patient exercise of repeating the sound of the 
word in connection with its sign, is sufficient 
to make a child familiar with the word when 
he sees its symbol." 

Sargent's Standard Second Reader {page 5). 

" It is not recommended that the attempt 
should be made to level every sentence and 
word in a reading lesson, to the immediate 
and entire comprehension of the child. This 
would be impracticable. ' What blockheads,' 
says Eobert Southey, ' are those wise persons 
who think it necessary that a child should 
comprehend everything it reads.' " 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 135 

The London Quarterly Review^ speaking of 
the education of children, says : 

" The reason is cultivated at an age when 
nature does not furnish the elements necessary 
to a successful cultivation of it, and the child 
is solicited to reflection when it is only capa- 
ble of sensation and emotion." 

Fowler, on Memory, had a partial view of 
the direct system of instruction ; and although 
I am an incorrigible unbeliever in Phrenology 
as a science, I am certain its able expounder 
speaks many truths about the intellectual 
powers, that are worthy of profound attention. 
It was not till after I had taken my manual to 
my publisher, that I had the pleasure of read- 
ing Fowler on Memory. The following ex- 
tracts are so in accordance with my theory of 
instruction, that I transcribe them with plea- 
sure ; on page 37th he says : 

"So constituted is the human mind, that 
whatever is seen is forever riveted on the 
mind. Description fails to impress, but obser- 
vation fastens what is seen upon the other 
faculties, as it were branding it into their very 
texture. Thus one minute's ocular inspection 
of anything, say the human scull, makes and 
leaves an impression incalculably more vivid 
and retentive than worlds of books, or years 



136 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

of description could possibly effect. A law of 
mind requires things to be shown, and insists 
on observation. Children or adults can be 
taught mechanics, natural science, anatomy, 
phrenology, and every species of knowledge, 
many hundred per cent, more speedily and 
effectually by observation than by all other 
means put together. The human mind easily 
remembers how things appeared, and thus 
readily recalls whatever is associated with these 
appearances. Man was made to see, and must 
see effectually to progress in knowledge, and 
mental attainments." 

Speaking of the observation of children, on 
page 41, he says : 

" In them, too, more than in adults, obser- 
vation conveys instruction more vividly and 
practically than all other means put together. 
"With what avidity they seize every book con- 
taining pictures, and ask to be told about them. 
Indeed, their looking instinct is too strong, too 
unequivocal, too universal to be mistaken. 
Nor was it created for naught. Eor should it 
be overlooked in educating that mind, of 
which it forms so great a part. Indeed, all 
education should acknowledge and be formed 
upon it, because observation is their great 
highway to knowledge. It should not then 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 137 

be hedged up, but opened wider still. In 
fact, as all education of mind should be con- 
ducted in harmony with the laws of mind, 
educated, and as observation is a prominent 
law of the juvenile mind, therefore they should 
be taught by observation mainly, till this has 
developed both memory and reason. How 
quickly they learn from seeing and being 
shown, but how slowly from books and de- 
scriptions ! This is a palpable universal fact, 
based in a law of mind. 

"This being thus, of course existing sys- 
tems of education require to be remodelled, so 
as to become adapted to the cardinal law of 
mind, or rather based upon it, yet they almost 
universally violate it. Instead of developing 
observation they actually repress it, not even 
allowing it its natural action. They thus 
cramp what they should develop, and do a 
positive damage instead of good. They actu- 
ally curtail observation, and thereby weaken 
this faculty so all-essential to intellectual ad- 
vancement. How many of us, readers, have 
been rebuked or chastised, because we looked 
around the schoolhouse, or out of its windows. 
Thump came the ruler on our heads, or crack 
the birch over our backs, because we looked 
off the book, with the stern mandate and 



138 THE TEUE PHILOSOPHY OB 

threat- — keep your eyes on your books, or I'll 
flog the skin off your backs. Gracious hea- 
vens, humanity flogged for trying to see. 
Not for what was bad, but merely for looking 
— as well chastise for breathing. Almost as 
well stop respiration as obseevation, for the 
latter is quite as essential to intellectual life 
and growth as breathing is to physical. The 
fact is thus palpably apparent, that educa- 
tion is begun at the wrong end, and conducted 
erroneously throughout." 

Page 43. — " Let us commence their educa- 
tion by showing and explaining things. Shall 
we longer confine them to the study of things 
which they have not yet the faculties to com- 
prehend. As well put the blind to selecting 
colors and the deaf to learning music. Granted 
this proposed remodelling of existing educa- 
tional systems is a bold innovation, and would 
demolish that idol to which parents cling as to 
their children themselves, and on whose altar 
millions are now falling a sacrifice, both phy- 
sically and mentally, yet it is based in the 
two incontestable facts that individuality is 
one of the first developed and most active 
intellectual organs of the young, so that their 
obseevation should be the leading instru- 
mentality employed in their education." 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 139 

{Page 44.) 

" OBSERVATION MUST PRECEDE REASONING. 

" If this new but true doctrine require addi- 
tional confirmation, it has it in that constitu- 
tional method by which the human mind 
arrives at most of its conclusions. Eeason 
without fact can teach very little. Could 
mere reasoning ever have discovered, or can 
it even now perfect phrenology or any other 
science % Unaided by experiment, can it teach 
us that motion is the function of muscle, sen- 
sation of nerve, vision of the eyes, etc., or 
that heat can be obtained from trees, that 
water will quench thirst, food satiate hunger, 
stones thrown up fall down again, etc., etc. 
By a law of mind observation must pre- 
cede reasoning. After we have tried these 
several experiments several times over we 
may then infer that like causes produce like 
effects. This inductive method of observing 
facts first, and then ascending through 
analogous facts up to the laws that govern 
them, is the only sure guide to certain 
truth. The only safe method of investigat- 
ing any of the operations or laws of nature. 
Now the juvenile mind is an adult mind in 
miniature, only that this inductive method of 



140 THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY OF 

gaining knowledge appertains to the juvenile 
even more than to the adult. The former 
are compelled by the inflexible law of mind 
to learn most that they know from obser- 
vation, followed indeed by reason, but never 
by the latter first or mainly. Then, let 
this inductive lesson be taught at first, and 
even constitute the main education of child- 
hood. Then, should not education be at once 
remodelled accordingly ? It will be thus re- 
modelled. Fifty years, probably twenty, will 
see this fundamental change effected and 
demolish the present system, though thus 
thoroughly riveted upon the affections of 
parents and teachers. Strange that all the 
interests felt and labor expended upon schools 
should not have both detected and remedied 
this fatal error. It is too palpable and fatal 
to be tolerated much longer." 

Page 49. — " Moreover we never have any 
occasion to know how to spell words except 
when they are put on paper, or in order to 
put them on ; that is, where form can be em- 
ployed in spelling them. This method of 
learning to spell is also far superior in ease as 
well as durability to the present method of 
learning to spell by rote, as to demand the 
substitution of the former for that of the 



TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 141 

latter. In other words, form is the natural 
organ for reading and spelling, and there- 
fore children should be taught at first to read 
and spell by means of the appearances of 
words instead of as now, by rote. Lan- 
guage or rote may assist, but should be alto- 
gether secondary, whereas now it is primary. 
This course will enable us to remember 
what we have learned, whereas now how few 
of us even, after having served a five years' 
spelling and reading apprenticeship, however 
expert we may have been as scholars, can 
spell correctly an ordinary page of a letter 
or even many common household words! 
What greater practical condemnation of the 
present system could be had than the miser- 
ably poor spelling of nearly all, even after all 
the pains taken ? 

" The reason is this : we learn to spell by 
rote, by the jingle, and this is forgotten 
soon after we leave school, whereas we should 
learn to read and spell by the eye, by the 
appearances of the words, which as it is a law 
of mind easily to remember, the looks of what 
we have seen would enable us to learn much 
more easily, and then retain what we learn. 
By adopting the change here proposed, child- 
ren could learn to spell in less than half the 



14:2 TEACHING THE YOUNG TO READ. 

time now consumed, and retain it twice as 
well, a four-fold advantage, and in one of the 
most important of matters where the time and 
labor-saving principle, now so advantageously 
applied elsewhere, can possibly be employed. 
If this proposed change would enable children 
to learn what they now do in one-fourth the 
time now consumed, and employ the balance 
either in gaining health and growth by play, 
or in learning three times as much as now — 



THE END. 






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MINISTERS', TEACHERS', 

AND 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS' 

LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, 

US NASSAU STREET, 



The Subscriber has formed, in New York, a " Minis- 
ters' Library Association i " and, under the sanction 
and direction of the Association, the Sermons of 
the Rev. Robert Walker, with Introduction by 
Dr. Cheever ; and Rev. John Logan, with Intro- 
duction by Dr. Whedon, have been published. 
Other works will be published from time to time, 
such as the Association shall approve, and none 
others. The Subscriber, with the assistance of his 
friends — entirely distinct from the Association — 
assumes the pecuniary responsibility of the enter- 
prise; the moral and literary responsibility being 
with the Association. 

Officers. — The officers of the Association are 
president, vice-president, secretary, and publishing 
committee. 

Terms of Membership. — The purchase of a copy 
of the Sermons of the Rev. Robert Walker, and 
Rev. John Logan, at $2 50, entitles ministers, 
teachers, and Sunday-school officers to membership. 

Advantages of the Association. — We propose 
to furnish to all members of the Association, books, 
periodicals, and stationery, at cost prices. The 



2 Ministers' and Teachers' Library Association. 

room at 118 Nassau street will be a place where the 
members can safely leave any baggage, consult Di- 
rectories, obtain information of the public, and of 
benevolent institutions and their anniversaries, best 
places to obtain servants, and of entertainments, 
etc., etc. N. Tibbals. 

Rev. J. B. Wakeley, Pres., N. Y. 

Rev. C. J. Hopkins, Sec., 2V. Y. 



The publication of the Sermons of Rev. Robert 
Walker and Rev. John Logan originated in the fol- 
lowing circumstances. On inquiry of persons keep- 
ing rare books, it was found that these sermons were 
out of print, much called for, and of great value. 
That no old sermons were so much in demand. 
Whenever a copy of Walker could be found it was 
held at $5, and a corresponding price for Logan. 
On conversing with an eminent divine, he stated that 
he held them both in the highest estimation, and 
was six years in finding a copy of Walker, and after 
reading Logan, searched till he found a copy of that. 
In further consulting experienced book publishers 
and divines, such as have recommended the sermons, 
we have come to the conclusion to give them again 
to the world. 

These sermons were not written, like many, under 
the influence of a religious controversy, or the 
heated zeal of bigotry, but in , the quiet study of 
pastors who went in thither to prepare food for their 
flocks. They had no theological opponent, no sacred 
creed, to influence the thoughts, absorb the atten- 



Recommendations. 1 3 



tion, and direct the pen. The adversary they fou-ht 
was Satan. They lost sight of all opposition and 
controversy but to war with the powers of dark- 
ness, and to oppose sin. With the vivid images of 
the lost writhing in eternal pain, and an undying 
desire to see them reconciled and raised up to God° 
were these soul-stirring sermons produced. The 
likeness impressed on their hearts is found living 
and blooming on these sermons, and must find its 
way to and fire the heart of every godly man 
that reads them. We present them to the Christ- 
ian public, with the sentiments of the distinguished 
divines who have given them their highest approval 
believing that they will be of great and lasting use . 
fulness. 

Extract from Dr. Whedon's Introduction to Logan. 
" Under his lucid touches, the rust of common-place dis- 
appears." 

Extract from Dr. C7ieever's Introduction to Walker. 
" The richness, completeness, and fervor with which the 
distinguished doctrines of the Gospel are presented in 
Walker's Sermons, account for his popularity and his 
power." 

• • « 

RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Rev. N. Tibbals— Dear Brother : It was many years 
after I had seen a copy of Logan's Sermons before I could 
purchase one. They were out of print. When I obtained 
oue I felt as if I had found a jewel. 

J. B. Wakeley, 
Pastor of Jane street M, E. Church, 
New Yqrje, Sept. 2ith, 1854. 



Recommendations. 



Pittsfield, Sept. 5th, 1854. 
Rev. N. Tibbals, Astoria, L. I. 

My Dear Sir : I am glad to learn that the Ministers' 
Association in New York, think of re-publishing some of the 
genuine old Scotch theologians, particularly the writings of 
John Logan and Robert Walker. These are wells of 
pure and cooling waters, refreshing and purifying to those 
who draw faithfully from them. 

Yours truly, John Todd. 



Hartford, Aug. 21st, 1854. 
Rev. N. Tibbals — Dear Sir : The Sermons of the Rev. 
Robert Walker, in two volumes, I regard as among the 
best in the language. Thoroughly evangelical in doctrine ; 
deeply imbued with the spirit and phraseology of the Scrip- 
tures ; logical in argument ; perspicuous in style, and faith- 
ful in application — they may be recommended as models of 
correct sermonizing to young ministers, and to all as replete 
with Biblical instruction, and of excellent use for general 
religious reading. The volume of Logan which it is proposed 
to publish with those of Walker, differs somewhat from them 
in character. The author had more genius, and more elo- 
quence ; wrote in a vivid style, and abounds more in striking 
illustrations, but did not perhaps deal so closely with the 
heart and conscience. Yet many of his sermons are of great 
excellence — rich in thought and clear in style and arrange- 
ment ; and cannot be read or heard without leaving a deep 
and useful impression on the mind. J. Hawes. 



New Haven, Oct. 23tf, 1854. 
Rev. N. Tibbals — Dear Brother : The sermous of Rev. 
Robert Walker, I have long held in high esteem. While 
beautifully elucidating the leading doctrines of Christianity, 
their tendency is highly practical. These sermons are per- 
vaded by a fervor indicating the deep piety of their author, 
and consoling and animating to the heart of the reader. 
They comprise a series of excellent religious reading, and 
a most admirable Sabbath companion for any Christian. 

J. Kennaday, 



Recommendations. 



I am gratified to learn that a new edition of Walker's 
Sermons is nearly ready for the public use. Few preachers 
combined so many excellences of thought, method, and 
style ; and I have never hesitated to recommend his ser- 
mons, as among the very best models for young ministers. 
They possess, in a high degree, the faultless beauty of his 
colleague Blair, along with a directness and evangelical 
fervor, which the published sermons of the latter lack. 

Alexr. T. McGill, 
Professor of Pastoral Theology, Church Government, 
• Composition, and Delivery of Sermons* 

Pkinceton, Oct. 13, 1854. 



I have been accustomed from early life to read Logan's 
Sermons, particularly as the effusions of a beautiful and 
highly gifted mind. They are by no means wanting in 
evangelical sentiment, or in fervent and impressive appeals ; 
but as specimens of polished and graceful composition, I 
think the Scotch pulpit has rarely, if ever furnished any- 
thing superior. 

Albany, Sept. 1§, 1854. H. B. Sprague. 



Walker was of the section recognized as the Evangelical, 
and his sermons have by some theological professors been 
recommended as among the safest and best models of evan- 
gelical preaching. 

Wm. R. Williams. 
New York, 11th Oct., 1854, 

Teachers and professional men generally, will find that it 
will be of great advantage to purchase their Books and Sta- 
tionery of us, and to patronize the Association. We intend, 
from time to time, to publish such books specially valuable, 
yet not of a popular want, and thus not offering money in- 
ducements to publishers j and we can do this, if those for 
whose special benefit this institution was established will 
patronize it. 

1* 



CATALOGUE OF BOOKS. 



W. TIBBALS & Co., 

118 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 



Benjamin Williams' Occasional Sermons, 

Dr. Spring's Contrast, 2 vols. 

Sermons to Children by different Authors 

" by Williams R. Williams, 
Bishop Wainright's Sermons, 
Sheridan's Sermons, 3 vols. 
Spencer's " 2 vols. 

Revival " 2 vols. 

Spurgeon's Sermons, per vol. 
Chalmers' Astronomical Sermons, 
J. Parker's Sermons, 
Milton Ward's Sermons, 
R. Walker's Sermons, 
Hurd's Sermons, 3 vols. 
J. White's Oxford Sermons, 
Gilfin's Sermons, 3 vols. 
Dr. William Stevens' Sermons. 3 vols, 
Orton's Sermons, 4 vols. 
Melville's Sermons, 2 vols. 

" Lectures, . 
Payson's Sermons, 2 vols. 
Bishop Mcllvaine's Sermons, 2 vols, cloth 
J. W. Cunningham's " 
Saurin's Sermons, 2 vols. . 
Dr. Grant's Sermons, 2 vols. 
Philip Holland's Sermons, 2 vols. 
William Hawtayne's Sermons, half calf 
William Turner's " " 

Joseph Tucker's " half mor. 

R. Valpy's " 2 vols, half calf 

Hoole's " half mor. 

Dr. Middleton's « half calf 

J. H. Fowle's " half mor. 

Samuel Walker's " 2 vols, half calf 



51 25 


2 50 


1 25 


1 00 


3 00 


3 00 


2 50 


1 00 


1 00 


1 00 


75 


2 00 


3 00 


1 50 


3 00 


3 00 


4 00 


3 75 


1 75 


3 00 


3 50 


1 50 


3 00 


1 50 


2 00 


1 00 


1 25 


1 00 


3 00 


1 10 


1 25 


1 50 


3 00 



Catalogue of Books. 



Luther's Life and Sermons, . 

South's " 4 vols, sheep, 

James Young's " ... 

C. R. Duffies' " 2 vols. 

Benjamin Moore's " 2 vols. 

Jeremy Taylor's " 3 vols. 

R. "Watson's " 2 vols, sheep, 

Village " ... 

Morrison's China " ... 

Forbes' Funeral " ... 

Wesley's " 2 vols. 

J. W. Adams' " ... 

Bullinger's Sacramental Sermons, 

Burges' Sermons of Christian Life, . 

Wayland's University Sermons, 

Manning's Sermons, 3 vols. 

College Sermons by distinguished Ministers, 

Bushnell's Sermons, .... 

New York Pulpit, 

Guthre's Ezekiel, 

Fleetwood's Sermons, .... 
Samuel S. Smith's Sermons, 
Jortin's Sermons, 7 vols, sheep, 

Davies' Sermons, 3 vols 

Jay's " 2 vols 

Bradley's " 

Depon's " 2 vols 

Edmondson's Sermons, .... 
Murdock's Mosheim's Church History, 3 vols. 
Millman's Church History, 2 vols. 
Millman's History of Christianity, 
Jarvise's Church History, 
Shortes' '• " 



Stebben's 

Hase's 

Shaff's 

Neander's 

Wadding's 

Mosheim's 



3 vols 



5 vols 
2 vols 



Keith's Hist, of Church and State of Scotland 

History of Vaudois' Church, 

Burnet's History of Reformation, 3 vols. . 

" " " English ed. 2 

D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, 5 vols 
Kurtz's Sacred History, .... 
Bangs' History of M. E. Church, 



$0 75 
8 00 
1 

2 



vols, 
vols. 



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1 75 
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2T. Tibials & Co., 118 Nassau street. 



vols. 



Lost Chapters Recovered from Early History of 
Methodism. By J. B. Wakeley, . . . . $1 50 

Dowling's History of Romanism, 

Litton's Church of Christ, 

Mosheim's History of First Three Centuries, 2 

Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, 

Marsh's Theology, 

H. Cole's " 

Thomas Zouch's Works, 2 vols. . 

Baxter's Works complete, 4 vols. English edition 

Jefiferson'slWorks, 9 vols. 

Dwight's Works, 4 vols 

Hall's Works, 3 vols, sheep, 

Fletcher's Works, 2 vols. English edition, 

Home's " 2 vols 

Hopkins' " 2 vols 

Bridge's " 5 vols 

Bishop Jewel's Works, .... 

Barrow's " .... 

Dick's " 2 vols, sheep, 

Dick's Theology, 1 vol. sheep, 
" " 2 vols, cloth, 

Bunyan's Works, complete, sheep, . 

Charlotte Elizabeth, 2 vols. 

Hannah More, 2 vols. .... 

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Howe's " 2 vols, sheep, 

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Pearson's Infidelity, half mor. . 

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Clarke's Theological Library, per vol. 

Home's Introduction, .... 

Newton on the Prophecies, 

Constitution qf Holy Apostles, 

Irvine's Cyclopedia of Religious Anecdotes 
" " of Fine Arts, 

Buck's Religious Anecdotes, 

Bishop Porter's Works, 6 vols. 

Five Hundred Skeletons and Sketches of Sermons, 

Pulpit Cyclopedia, 

Burns' Cyclopedia of Sermons, 

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<« « Old and New Testaments, 11 vols. 25 00 



2 50 


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14 00 


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Catalogue of Books. 9 

Fowler's American Pulpit, $2 00 

Fish's Masterpieces of Pulpit Eloquence, 2 vols. . 5 00 
Fish's Nineteenth Century of Pulpit Eloquence, . 3 50 

Clarke's Commentary, 4 vols 12 00 

" " on New Testament, 1 vol. sh. 3 00 

Doddridge's Family Expositor, . . . . 5 00 

Patrick, Lowth, and Whitby's Commentaries, 4 vols. 14 00 
Comprehensive Commentary, 6 vols. . . . 12 00 

Scott's Commentary, 6 vols 12 00 

" " 3 vols 8 00 

Henry's " 5 vols 15 00 

Olshausen's " new edition, 6 vols. . . . 12 00 

Turner's Commentaries, per vol 1 25 

Barnes on the New Testament, .... 75 

" " Old « per vol. . . . 1 25 

Alexander on Isaiah, 2 vols 2 50 

" on Psalms, 3 vols 3 75 

" on Acts, 2 vols 2 50 

Bush's Notes, 7 vols. 5 50 

" on Numbers, 1 00 

Stuart's Commentary on Hebrews & Romans, per vol. 2 50 

" on Daniel, . . . . 2 50 

" " on Proverbs, . . . . 1 25 

" " on Old Testament Canon, . 1 50 

" Sermon on the Atonement, etc. . . 75 

Sherlock on prophecy, 1 00 

Quesnel's Commentary on the Gospels, . . . 4 00 
Guyse's Paraphrases, 6 vols calf, . . . . 12 00 
Novum Testamentum Tetraglotton, half morocco, be- 
ing the New Testament in the Latin, Greek, Ger- 
man, and English Languages, . . . . 3 50 
Polyglotta Bible, 5 vols, half morocco, being in Ger- 
man, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, . . . 20 00 

Septuagint, 3 00 

Hebrew Bible, 2 25 

Leusden's Greek and Latin Testament, . . . 1 25 

Hahn's Greek Testament, 1 00 

Baxter's Greek and Latin Testaments and Bibles, . 
Kuinoel Novum Testamentum, . . . . 5 00 

Griesbach Novum Testamentum, . . . ! 1 00 
Bloomfield's Greek Testament, 2 vols. . . 6 00 

Greenfield's Greek Testament,' . . . . 1 75 

Geseuius' Hebrew and English Lexicon, . ' 6 00 

R °y s ' " . - ' 5 00 

50 



Robinson's Greek Lexicon on New Testament. . .' 4 



Harmony of the Gospels, . . 1 50 



10 



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Robinson's English Harmony of Gospels, 

Rodiger Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, 

Kuhner's Greek Grammar, 

Robinson's Calmet, 

Buck's Theological Dictionary, 

Kitto's Cyclopedia, 2 vols, half calf, 

Watson's Theological Dictionary, sheep, 

Smith's Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology 
3 vols, half calf, English edition., 

Smith's Greek and Roman Geography, 2 vols, 

Spooner's Dictionary of Painters, Engravers, Sculp- 
tors, and Architects, 

Rural Cyclopedia, 4 vols. 

Richardson's Dictionary, 2 vols. 

Webster's Dictionary, unabridged, 
" " royal octavo. 

Dictionary Quotations, Latin, French, Greek, and 
Italian, 

Trench on Parables and Miracles, per vol 

Drummond on the Parables, 

Stephens " " 

Krummacher " " 

Beecher's Lectures to Young Men 

Clarke's " '• 

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Belnap's " " 

Bethune's Lectures . 

Peck's Lectures to Young Men . 

Blunt on the Pentateuch, 2 vols. 

Burnet on Thirty-nine Articles, 

Welchman " " 

Pearson on the Creed, 

Brownell's Commentary on Prayer Book 

Kidder on the Pentateuch, 2 vols. 

Sacra Privata (Wilson) 

Imitation of Christ . 

Thoughts for Holy Week . 

Words of Jesus, 

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Bowden's Letter to Miller, 2 vols. 

Feasts and Fasts, 

Manual of Devotion (Spiuckes) . 

Genius of Missions (Colton's) 

Hobart's Christian Manual 

Aids to Reflection, 

Mart's Happiness of the Blessed 



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12 00 

25 00 

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3 50 



Catalogue of Boohs. 



Griswold's Prayers, .... 
Unison of the Liturgy, by Gifford. . 
Vinet's Pastoral Theology. 

" Miscellanies .... 

" Gospel Studies 

" Homiletics .... 
Barnes' Way of Salvation . 

" Miscellanies, 2 vols 

" on Slavery .... 

" Church and Slavery, 
Olmstead's Philosophy, 
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Combe's Intellectual Science . 
Cusins' Elements of Psychology, 
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Winslow's Moral Philosophy, 
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Wayland's Moral Science, . 
Upham's Mental Philosophy, . 
Hamilton's Philosophy, 
Lewis' « 2 vols. . 

Cusins' Philosophy, 2 vols. 
Adam's " 5 vols. 

Abercrombie on Moral Peelings,' '. 
Schwegler's Philosophy, . 
Cyclopedia Britannica, new ed. per vol. 

old ed. 20 vols. 
Robinson's Christian System, 3 vols. 
Watson's Body of Divinity, 
Warden's Revealed Religion, 2 vols.' 
Encyclopedia Americana, 14 vols. . 
Appleton's Cyclopedia, . 
Religious Encyclopedia, . 
Bancroft's History of the U. S. 7 vols.' 
Prescott's Histories, per vol. 
Macaulay's History of Eng. 4 vols, cloth 

t «", tt • "\ TT . " 1vol. half mor 
Tytler's Universal History, 

Schlasser's History of the XVIIIth. Cen., 8 vol; 

Bingham's Sandwich Islands, . 

Livy's Rome, 2 vols. . 

Baine's Wars, 2 vols. 

Neibuhr's Ancient History, 3 vols. '. 

Schmidt's Manual of Ancient History, 

" " Modern " 

Kane's Expedition, 2 vols. 



11 



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12 JV. Tibials & Co., 118 Nassau street. 

Robinson's Researches in Palestine, 3 vols, and map, $9 00 

Perry's Expedition to Japan, 4 00 

Taylor's Travels, 1 25 

Slade's Travels in Turkey, 75 

Irving's Life of Washington, 4 vols. . . . 6 00 

Holly's Life of Franklin, . . . . . . 1 00 

Mills' Literary Men of Great Britain and Ireland, 2 

vols 5 00 

Burke's Correspondences, 6 00 

Boswell's Life of Johnson, 1 00 

Life and Sermons of Whitefield, . . . .2 50 

Heroines of Crusades, 1 50 

Modern Eritish Essayists, 8 vols. . » . . 13 00 

« " 30 vols., per vol. . • . 75 

Emerson's "Works, per vol 1 00 

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Cotton Mather's Magnalia, 2 vols 5 00 



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